Code Geass: The Rose Prince
by gameboy5432
Summary: This is the story of Lelouch as once again in an alternate world where he is still a Prince and as he fights to change the Empire from within he is the living personification of a Rose a flower which signifies both great beauty and great deadliness,
1. Part I: The Name of the Rose

**Part one : The name of the Rose.**

"_I was part of Ohgi's Resistance cell in Shinjuku, back then we pulled a heist of a poison capsule and naturally the Brittannian's where keen to have it back, we got into Shinjuku and as the fighting was reaching that of attrition we could hear the following words over our radio."_

_To all resistance fighter I am speaking to you as someone who can deliver you to victory from this situation, you have two choices in the matter, you can accept my command and live, reject it and die in this ghetto, join me and we will see victory over the Empire._

"_Unknown to us that was the first time we encountered the man who would become our leader, the first time we encountered Zero"_

_**From the diary of General Inoue Yamaguchi.**_

**(Shinjuku Ghetto, Tokyo)**

"You saved me!" Kallen said to herself before turning to where the Knightmare she thought her mysterious ally was in was. The Glasgow had disappeared. "What? Where did he…?"

"Kallen!" she looked down to see Ohgi, Tamaki and a number of others from their group running towards her. "What the hell was that radio message earlier?"

"What he contacted you too?"

"Yeah! And Yoshida's group should be here soon." Ohgi said before his radio came back on.

"Are you the one in charge?" the voice said.

"Huh…Yeah" Ohgi said.

"I present to you the cargo in that train over there. They are tools for your victory. If you want to use them to win then follow my orders"

Kallen used here Glasgow to open the first car she gasped when she saw brand new Sutherlands inside of it.

"There's more in here" she heard a distant voice yell. "Here too!" Tamaki responded. "Amazing! Maybe we should give this guy a chance!" someone else said.

"All this?...But how?..." Kallen breathed.

"Woman in the Glasgow!" the voice said again.

"Yes!"

"Stay where you are. Your unit is going to run decoy. You got that?"

"Understood"

"Energy filler status?"Kallen looked at the energy gauge "About fifteen minutes worth."

"Then recharge it. In about ten minutes I'll contact you with your next instructions"

xxxxxxxx.

"The terrorists are mixed among the Elevens populace and are mounting a minor resistance against us but they pose little threat to the army units we have." Bartley said.

"We know that moving on…" Clovis said a little impatiently.

"Understood your highness, the gas capsule will be…"

"What the public thinks." Clovis finished for him.

"Yes. And we'll keep searching for the girl." Bartley reassured him.

"Either way I want her captured dead or alive. And I want Lelouch's body to be brought back here after this mess is over so we can give him a proper burial I own him that much." Clovis said softly 'Lelouch why did you have to go and meddle in this?' he thought regretfully.

xxxxxxxx.

Ohgi sat in one of the Sutherlands that the mysterious voice on the radio had given them when he turned one of the screens on and saw Tamaki standing in front of him.

"Hey are you sure about this? They've all had their I.F.F.'s removed. What if this if a trap?"

Ohgi turned on his intercom "The other side has total advantage in this war. They don't need to set any traps. Alright people let's move get to your assigned points." The radio came on again.

"P-1 can you move? It operates basically the same as what you're used to."

"Can't you tell us who you are? At least your name."

"I can't do that. What if these signals are being intercepted? Anyway if Q-1 is on schedule, enemy Glasgows will reach you in twenty-three seconds. Shoot them through the wall."

"He's out of his mind!" Tamaki yelled.

"Everyone double check your weapons" Ohgi ordered.

"What? Are you serious?"

xxxxxxxx.

"Enemies spotted at point F-31" one of Clovis' officers said over the radio

"A feint hmm? How pedestrian" he mumbled.

"Have Lazlo squad proceed straight in!" Bartley barked "Have Eugen and Valarie strike from the rear!"

xxxxxxxx.

"Three…two…one…Fire!" Ohgi said giving his comrades the signal to blast the enemy Glasgows into oblivion.

xxxxxxxx.

"Sir Eugen and Sir Valarie lost" an officer called out after having watched it on the screen.

"An ambush?" Clovis asked.

xxxxxxxx.

"P-1, P-4, P-7 move a hundred meters to the right and fire your slash hearkens toward three o'clock"

"You heard him!" Ohgi said "Do what the voice says!"

"Dammit what else does he want us to do?" Tamaki said grudgingly as he got into a Sutherland.

"P-5 Ready?" the voice cut in

"Quit calling me that!"

xxxxxxxx.

"The enemies moving toward G-28!"

"Send in Lazlo Squad…I mean Glaube squad!" Bartley cried.

"This means the terrorists have our military weaponry?...Sutherlands?" Clovis realized

"Sir Glaube ejected his units been lost!"

"Change the code's their intercepting our transitions!" Bartley yelled.

"We already have sir four times!"

"Do it again!"

Clovis shot up from his throne "This failure is unacceptable!" he cried.

"Forgive me!" Bartley graveled.

xxxxxxxx.

"R-2 fire anchor. B-7 use U.N. ordinance. N-group continue your advance."

With a mighty cry the terrorist Sutherlands drove back the Britannian Glasgows nearly obliterating them.

xxxxxxxx.

"We just lost Lazlo squad!"

Clovis Stood next to Bartley "Now! Bring up Quincy Squad!" Clovis ordered.

"But my lord! That will break the encirclement!" Bartley protested.

"Reinforce the breech with some of the units guarding me. All we know for certain is that enemy forces are here."

xxxxxxxx.

"My lord they ordered them to break formation" Jeremiah said.

"That's a more stupid move then I expected."

xxxxxxxx.

"Q-1 do you have an area map?"

"Yes I have a map of the old town but it's got no land marks on it" Kallen answered.

"It'll do"

xxxxxxxx.

"Alright send in Bertz and the others in as well!" Clovis said. "Concentrate our forces there surround them! "The enemy's main force is that center dot!" he stated keeping his eyes locked on the screen. "Finish every one of them off!" not two seconds after he gave the order the dot on the screen disappeared. "What where's the enemy?"

What he didn't know was that the terrorists had gone underground and used their slash hearkens to take the street right out from underneath them taking out all of the Glasgows Clovis had left.

Clovis backed away from the screen 'Who?...who in the hell am I up against?' he thought 'he's even better then Todoh…"

xxxxxxxx.

Kallen was amazed at just how smoothly things had been going for their side, this mysterious voice appeared on the Radio and had provided them with knightmares and tactics which were decimating the Empire's forces.

"This is K-1 to all forces abandon your knightmares and mix with the civilian population" the voice came over the speakers.

"Abandon them, why the hell would I want to do that?" Tamaki asked him annoyed.

"Because the Knight of Autumn Cross, the Champion of the Rose Prince is being deployed for battle, so unless you want to face him and that monster of a Lancelot I suggest you do as I say" the voice replied and they complied, the Reputation of Autumn Cross was well know among them.

**(Lancelots trailer position)**

"The enemy has abandoned the knightmares and have disappeared into the Ghetto? That's rather odd considering they were winning" Cecile said to Suzaku over the radio.

"They must have gotten word that the famous Autumn Cross would be joining the fray…Congratulations Suzaku you've become such a feared man from your South American Campaign with his highness that no one wants to face you" Lloyd said meaning it as a complement, but it wasn't interpreted as so by Cecile who gladly delivered punishing blows upon Lloyd.

"Attention all forces Cease fire at once!" Prince Clovis' voice came on all their radios and intercoms "I Clovis third Prince of Britannia and Royal viceroy of Area Eleven hear by command you all forces are to cease fire at once! You will also cease destruction of all property all casualties Eleven or Britannian are to be treated without prejudice! In the name of Clovis La Britannia I command you cease fire immediately! I shall allow no further fighting!" Clovis voice was heard over the speakers bringing the battle to an end.

**(Clovis command center)**

"There you have it, I've done what you wanted, what do you want now, a song, a dance, perhaps some chess?" Clovis said to the cloaked and masked man who was holding a gun at him.

This had been a horrible day for Clovis, first C.C capsule had been stolen, then his strike team was all killed, now this one sided massacre of his forces and now this vigilante who was apparently the ring leader was holding him at gun point.

"Chess…..that brings back memories, but I am afraid I am not here for such pleasantries, I am here to enact justice to this world." Zero replied as he cocked his gun and prepared to fire at Clovis.

"W-wait, I can give you money , more money than you could ever have gathered in one life time" Clovis said begging for his life.

"Would you denounce you country and join in me in rebelling against the Empire?" Zero asked.

"Y-yes, of course" Clovis replied thinking he was going to live.

"You know up until know I always believed that anyone deserved a second change, and I could have given you that second change despite the fact that you ordered you troops just recently to massacre the ghetto, and if it wasn't for me they would have, but what you said know has shown me that you do not deserve a second chance" Zero said to him.

"What do you mean?" Clovis asked now sweating bullets.

"You denounce your country and father so easily, and not because you are opposed to him, but because you are the type of person ho would do or say anything to anyone, a person with no pride, no morality, no integrity, a person like you does not belong in the new world I am building…..but before you die I will let you see the face of the one who sent you to your grave" Zero replied and he took his mask off.

"Y-you, ….but that's impossible,…. I just got off the phone with you, you're supposed to be in Buenos Aires ….*Bang*….." Clovis tried to finish his sentenced but could not do it because Clovis was executed by him.

**(Buenos Aires, Capital of Underland)**

Lelouch was playing a game of chess with one of the Empire's high noble he was waiting for Euphie, Cornelia and Schneizell to come and visit him and Nunnally, the three above mentioned siblings are where late from their duties in the Empire, or so they claimed.

"And this is check mate" Lelouch said to the noble as he ended the game.

"That's puts our fifth game today to an end, and it brings your debt to me to about 450 million pounds, I will expect the money by tomorrow, and each day you delay the interest is 20%" Lelouch said to him as he collected the red box from the table he had placed it upon as his wager for the games.

"But you highness that's outrages!" the noble said to him.

"It's not outrages at all, what was outrages was that after the first game your refuse to accept that you cannot beat me, for your stupid pride you now wagered and lost most of your fortune, that is outrages, if you want someone to blame, to through daggers at then I suggest you use that ship can you call a brain" Lelouch said and he loved the tormented look on the nobleman's face which said _I hate t o admit it but he is right._

"_He won't be able to pay, he will have to sell some of his lands and stocks, I can then buy them from his using my various pseudonyms and I can take control of it and the best part of it won't cost me a dime" _Lelouch thought to himself as the nobleman left the room, delighted that the nobles power once again decreased and his own money and power increased.

Just then Jeremiah who was his knight came into the room.

"My lord I am afraid there is a situation in Japan which requires your attention" Jeremiah said to him as Lelouch detected a grave tone in his voice.

"What has happened, you look like you seen a ghost?" Lelouch said to him.

"My lord….Prince Clovis has died…..he has been assassinated by someone call Zero" Jeremiah replied .

At this Lelouch got up from his chair and walked towards the window, he was slightly shaken and saddened by the loss, but he had the talent of keeping his grief in check until he was by himself, it was a necessity in his world.

"_So someone finally had the brains to take him out, can't say that I am surprised though, they deplorable conditions in Japan are a breeding ground for terrorism, and after I even sent Suzaku to help him"_ Lelouch thought to himself.

"What off Suzaku?" Lelouch asked.

"Kururugi is blaming himself for his death, but from the battle report it seems that Clovis ordered him into combat and he's just blaming himself for nothing" Jeremiah replied.

"Pack mine and Nunnally's things for Japan, also contact Schneizell and Cornelia and tell them I am going to Japan, also do we know who the rebel leader is?" Lelouch replied.

"Yes sir, he released a video footage of himself" Jeremiah said and he played on Lelouch's VCR the recording of Zero's message.

"Here me Brittannia, I am Zero, for generations you have abused and enslaved countless people, well no more, starting today, your punishment and your destruction begins, Prince Clovis is the first who has felt the sword of justice smite him for his tiranic rule of Japan and tomorrow so will all those who oppress the weak…."

Lelouch watched the message and he himself agreed with the fact that the Empire was evil and needed to be completely destroyed and rebuilt, but in order for him to do that he had to gain even more rank and power, the only way to do that was to vanquish foes of the Empire.

"_Why are those who agree with me never on the same side of the barricade_" Lelouch thought to himself as he positioned his body in a way that it made it look like h was playing a chess game against Zero.

"You've made your opening move and now it's my turn "Lelouch said as he picked up the Black King chess piece and placed it to face Zero.

Unknown to Lelouch and to the world one of the greatest rivalries was born that day, the world would n ever be the same.

**Read and Review let me know if I should continue with this premise…also to my fans of Iron Prince and Mjolnnir, that is put on hold, I am afraid I am experiencing writers block with that and I will concentrate on this until I can pass that.**


	2. Part II: A new garden

**Part two: A new garden.**

_Excerpt from the Bed of Thorns novel collection._

_The prince upon arriving at this new location saw just how deplorable the region was, the huts where made of sticks and mud, the roads where nonexistent, he could see thieves and beggars all over the town, and their where reports the Germans where planning to raid this area again, for any other person being assigned to this province would have been punishment, but to him it was bliss, for turning this region from a shithole into a proper region was a challenger he looked forward to."_

**(A month after Clovis death and two days after his funeral, Tokyo ghetto, Zero's location)**

C.C who was released during the operation in Shinjuku stared at the person in front of her.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"So much for gratitude for saving you" Zero replied.

"This is how I express my gratitude by wanting to know you more intimately" C.C replied.

"Very well then" Zero replied and extended his arm to shake hands with her in that moment a wave of energy encased both their minds and which C.C face quickly turned into a smile.

"Do I have to show you my face as well?" Zero asked at which C.C simply shook her head.

"Good, oh and have a seat I suspect my guests will arrive shortly" Zero said to them.

Ohgi and his resistance group walked into a big two story transport which Zero had told them they would meet.

"Are you the voice from Shinjuku?" Ohgi asked as he stepped forward to meet him along with the other members of the resistance.

"Yes, you may say so, I apologize for not being able to show my face, but I am afraid that I fought to many battles and to many scars to call this a face anymore" Zero replied to him.

"That's a likely story, I bet this is some kind of sting operation by the Empire" Tamaki said to those present.

"So the Empires conception of a sting operation is to provide almost 30 knightmares to their enemies have over 100 off their pilots be killed in battle and let their prince be assassinated, I have to say either this resistance group really is such a great threat or your red headed friend over their needs a new dictionary" Zero replied which caused the other members of the resistance cell to chuckle all except Tamami, they had to admit the concept was pretty ludicrous.

"My name is Ohgi, and these are Kallen, Inoue, Minami, Sugiama , Yoshida, And Tamaki" Ohgi introduced them to him.

"You may call me Zero and this woman is C.C, she is my accomplice, now the first thing we do…"

RING RING RING.

Zero tried to finish, but was cut off by Kallen, whose cell phone started to ring.

"Sorry about that, it's my stepmother, she keep trying to make me come to this reception at the government facility" Kallen said as she rejected the call.

"Perhaps you should go then" Ohgi said to her.

"What for?" she asked.

"For who is the reception?" Ohgi asked.

"Well, it said on the invitation is for the coming off the Rose Prince" Kallen replied.

"There you have it, the Rose Prince is a well known and powerful figure in the Empire and the world, we could take this opportunity to recognizance on the enemy" Zero replied before Ohgi could and the matter was decided.

**(Government Facility, Lelouch's personal quarters)**

Lelouch and Suzaku were their sharing drinks, Lelouch had arrived this morning in Japan and he and Suzaku had spent the time until the reception catching up.

"It's amazing what you and I manage to do to South America, it took us almost three years, but we did it, we eliminated poverty and reformed the Area" Suzaku said as he poured Lelouch another drink.

"I wouldn't go so much as to say reform, the segregation laws instituted by my father are still their it's just that I made a series of punishments for those who abuse numbers, even so it took us one step forward and two steps back just to accomplish that, and even what we did is small when compared to the vastness of the Empire."Lelouch replied.

"Still we did it using the correct means! Results achieved by the methods of Zero or JLF or other terrorists organizations are meaningless if they are paid for in blood, why just look at South America, there hasn't been rebellions there since you became Viceroy." Suzaku replied.

"But your forgetting my friend the born wild horse, and born tamed horse antithesis " Lelouch replied.

"What do you mean?" Suzaku asked.

"A horse who is tamed will always seek human masters to serve, if the master is cruel he will want a kinder one, if the master is kind he will love him, but if either kind master or bad master dies he will immediately seek out a new one, he will not seek freedom because he was raised that way and he is comfortable that way" .

"A born wild horse if captured and tamed will for a while remain docile, but if given the change will always try to run away and be wild again, that is in their nature, regardless of the nature of the master, even if they would live a better life with a master they will always want to be free" Lelouch replied.

"South American's born tamed Horses, Japan is a wild horse, no matter how much time passes, or how benevolent the leader may seem she will always want to rebel, no matter the cost….perhaps what we are doing is just delaying the inevitable…perhaps Zero is right"Lelouch added.

"Don't say that! How can you even say that! What would you want then for that Zero guy who turned Shinjuku into a bloodbath to spread it to the whole country? Have you heard his internet speeches?" Suzaku said to Lelouch.

"But if he succeeds wouldn't that mean a free Japan?" Lelouch asked his friend.

"A country that is free for whom? The countless soldiers and civilians who would have to face a war against not just the Empire but the E.U and the Chinese as well? For the widows and orphans of that war?...No it cannot be done…and even if it is done..how great will the price be?" Suzaku asked.

A silence fell between them until both bursted into laughter.

"You're the same stubborn jock that myself and Nunnally met all those years ago" Lelouch said to him.

"And you're the same smart-ass cocky prince as well" Suzaku replied.

Lelouch then looked at the watch and said to Suzaku.

"Well I guess it's time we go and rob the rich of the Empire" Lelouch said to his friend as both got up and prepared to go downstairs.

"You know that using that box as a wager is dangerous, what if one day you lose?" Suzaku said to his friend.

"Then I will be sure to very selective to who I lose to, now come on Hardy!" Lelouch replied to him.

"Yes Stan" Suzaku replied with a chuckle.

**(Tokyo Government facility ball room)**

"For God's sake Kallen at least try to smile when the Rose Prince comes down" her stepmother said to Kallen.

"What do you care, you are always saying that the guy is a stain on the lineage of the royal family" Kallen replied to her step mother.

"That fact hasn't changed, the other fact that hasn't changed is his massive fortune which rivals the Emperor himself" her stepmother replied.

xxxxxxxxxx.

"_I walk into the ballroom, Suzaku is besides me, he is wearing a military helmet to conceal his identity, the time is not right for the world to know who Autumn Cross really is, before me stand the nobles of the Empire, they all wearing expensive silk clothes lace with silver and gold with jewels to complement them, any normal person would be breathless at the sight…a normal person would…..but not me"_

"_When I look at their clothes I see dozens of men, women and children working 12 hours in sweat shops making the material, and for their trouble they barely get paid enough to feed themselves, the diamonds and various jewels are obtained trough over taxation and bribes received, each one of those glittering gems means one neighborhood and their peoples lives destroyed….and there are thousands of them…..the smiles on their faces is from the knowledge that they are above the law…I close my eyes for a moment and the illusion disappears and I can see them….the people who slave away in the sweatshops, the cities which lie in ruin, the hundreds of thousands who are dead and the millions of loved ones who are living who are screaming for justice…..only never to receive it….I open my eyes and the illusion one more sets in…the slaves disappear into the light….the ruined cities are covered in darkness…..and the scream masked by music….just like diamonds are cut when found to hide their ugliness….most people can't see the ugliness, the horror….but I am not most people and it makes me wonder…is beauty really only just a product of us covering the flaws?...is there no true beauty or innocence in the world?" _Lelouch thought to himself as he entered the room.

The Prince made and announcement that all beggars, thieves and knaves would be invited to the city tavern to eat and drink in the honor oh his ascension to governor of the region

"My lords…..my ladies…." He said as he walked to the middle of the room a warm smile on h is lips, which for a moment maid all of the nobles let their guard down.

They entered the tavern filled with joy of the thought of feasting to their hears content and for free above all other things, they did not know what awaited them.

"….YOUR ARE ALL A DISGRACE!" But it was only for a moment.

The Prince waited until they were all in the tavern, the beggars who were actually to crippled to work he had his men hidden in the crowds bring them out, he then waited until the beggars who pretended to be crippled to reveal their deception and when that was done he slipped out of the tavern …..

"Never in all my life have I seen such a gathering of reaches and mongrel to ever set foot in one room" Lelouch said much to everyone's shock., and to Kallen's surprise.

"I protest! We have made this ball to welcome your arrival and this is how you thank us?" one of the aristocracy said to him.

"_I heard his voice, the first one to be shamed and to fall from grace, I turn around and see his face, Count Kolchak, from what information I gathered he is the head of the Japan refrain cartels, up until know I could not prosecute any of these scumbags…..until know that is" L_elouch thought to himself as he turned towards Kolchak.

"And that is why I am so angry with you; my brother's body is still fresh and you through a party!" Lelouch said to him which caught the count off guard.

"Well…..we…I "

"Where are the ones who killed him, why haven't they been found yet?" Lelouch said in a loud tone as two of his soldiers entered the room carrying a large trunk.

"Let me ask you a question count, whose job is it to manage a region?" Lelouch said and a silence befell the room as he awaited the counts answer.

"The n-nobility" the count replied.

"Whose job is to ensure corruption and justice is dealt in the respective region?" Lelouch asked him.

"The n-nobility" the count replied as he was now starting to sweat.

Lelouch then walked towards him until he was face to face with him, the last question came added with fake anger over Clovis's death " And whose job is it to guard the royal family from danger".

"The n-nobility" the count replied as he now shook like a man shook before his executioner, he looked more dead than alive.

The Prince's soldiers the secretly and stealth fully locked the windows and door of the in, trapin the beggars inside.

"Exactly! and you are this regions nobility, your jobs is to ensure peace justice and prosperity are wherever you rule and you failed that!" Lelouch said as he walked towards the trunk and pulled out one of the items in it.

"An m22 infantry assault rifle, corruption is so great in this country that my men bought twelve of these from a back alley street only a few minutes ago…..but you know even if I could overlook the fact that you let my brother die under your watch and that corruption is so great you couldn't cut it with a chainsaw, I cannot over look the various crimes you have all committed" Lelouch said as he pulled out several files from the trunk.

"Like you Baron Medowman, several instances of bribes to the officials who inspected your textile factories in regard to see that it fits the health code, or even our illustrious Count Kolchak, who is the head of the refrain operations in Japan…." Lelouch said as he showed the two files too all those present.

"… And the list goes on…" Lelouch said with a scowl as he kicked the trunk and hundreds of files with incriminating evidence against all those present spilled out of the trunk.

"You think yourselves above the common people, above the law, that you are Gods and can do whatever you want without consequences to your actions…well you may not be Gods…..but here in this Country starting today I am…..and I smite the!" Lelouch said as he snapped his finger sand hundreds of his soldier who were waiting outside the ballroom came in the room to arrest those present.

The Prince's Legions then tossed torches and flaming arrows onto the inn, turning it ablaze, the music and laughter which came from inside was replaced by the screams as the provinces parasites where turned into ash, to the Prince that sound was…..beautiful.

"_My Murmilos come into the room and arrest them, one by one I see them as they try to run, squirm, bribe or even threaten their way out of their predicament, under normal circumstances I could never arrest one of them, let alone hundreds of them, but the fact that Clovis died here in this Country under their watch has cost them any favor they had from my father which could have protected them Cornelia who I talked to on the way here agrees with me and wishes she was here to do it herself, Schneizell said to me that what I was doing was what was needed ' kill one man to warn ten' is his policy"_ Lelouch said as he burned this scene into his memory for him to enjoy it time and time again when he retreated into the sanctuary of his own mind.

"_I look at the ballroom after the arrested noblemen are taken away, out of the hundreds who where now in the ballroom only a handful remained"_

"I can see that I've killed the mood for the party so let's call it a night" Lelouch replied with a wide grin on his face, he rarely showed emotions, but on this occasion when he made hundreds of nobles pay for their crimes made him drop his mask and savor the moment.

xxxxxx.

"_I am standing next to my stepmother who is still trembling from what just happened, but I am equally stunned, this Prince of Brittannia has just brought hundreds of those pigs to justice, and upon seeing his face I can tell that he is savoring every moment, I wait until he speaks and then I take a second glass of Champaign and walk over to him"_ Kallen said to herself as she did that.

"Champaign? What's the occasion?" Lelouch said as he took the glass from Kallen.

From afar he saw a red headed woman on a horse on the hilltop north of where he stood, she had seen what he had done, she was a native to the province which was under the Empire's rule, the Prince looked at her as is waiting for a response for his actions.

"You look like you want to celebrate…and I'd say what you did deserves celebration" Kallen whispered the last part and Lelouch looked at her and from her facial expression he could tell that she genuinely liked and approved of what he just did or was a very, very good actress.

She nodded in approval, and rode off to continue her plans

"I must say I am rather surprised to find someone like you wanting to celebrate all this with someone like me" Lelouch replied.

"Someone like me?" Kallen said a bit confused.

"What I meant was someone as charming as you would want to be with such a royal pain in the ass as myself" Lelouch replied which made Kallen genuinely chuckle.

"I am afraid that the ball is over, but I enjoyed your company and I hope we meet again" Lelouch said to Kallen.

Kallen looked at her stepmother, she was giving Kallen a look which said.

_What are you doing!_

Kallen gave her a look which said.

_You asked me to be friendly to him, so that's what I am doing_

"I would like that" Kallen said to him and Lelouch after a few more minute left

"_And I didn't want to come here tonight!"_ she thought to herself and was glad she did, she would have regretted not been able to see all this.

**(Lelouch's private quarters, a few minutes later)**

"What should we do with them now that they are our prisoners?" Suzaku asked Lelouch.

"Through them in jail, take what bribes they offer us without rendering services and eliminate from positions of power any person who is still loyal to the, how soon can Jeremiah bring the Murmilos here?" Lelouch asked Suzaku.

"Estimate is roughly two weeks for the whole army, but the third regiment arrived three hours agon and have just finished unloading in port, what's our next move?" Suzaku asked him.

"We go to sleep until morning" Lelouch said as he walked towards his bedroom.

"What happens at morning?" Suzaku asked.

"Why the sun comes up of course" Lelouch replied with a chuckle.

**(Tokyo Ghetto, Resistance van, the next day)**

"So all that happened in a single night!" Ohgi said to those present as Kallen told them her story.

"You know I never thought I'd say this, but here's to that Lelouch guy!" Tamaki said to them.

"Before you praise him, I'd suggest you watch his broadcast" Zero said as he turned up the volume on the tv.

xxxxxxxxxx.

Lelouch was making a live broadcast announcement to the country.

"Josei wa, Nippon no minasama, watashi wa jibun no nikkunēmurōzupurinsu to ippan Underland to yoba reru Nanbei no governour toshite shira rete iru hō, rurūshu roku buritania, Kiyoshi Britanian teikoku no dai 11-kai ōjidesu."

(Ladies, Gentlemen of Japan, i am Lelouch vi Britannia, 11th Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, better known by my nick name the Rose Prince and as governor of South America, popularly called Underland.)

And everyone who heard it was shocked that he was speaking Japanese.

Kinō kara watashi wa kono kuni no sōin o kaishi shite, coruption wa saikin tame son'na koto o shite, hoshō de wa naku," Underland" ni kumikomu ni wa, kono chiiki no sōtoku no namae toshite no watashi no ito o anoucning sono watashi no nochi ni itte mazu saisho ni sa reru Nippon no kanzen'na keizai infrastuctural healin wa, watashi ga saisho ni kono kuni no antei-sei o kakuho suru hitsuyō ga arimasu.

(Since yesterday I have begun a sweep of this country, corruption will be the first thing to go after that I am announcing my intention as Recently named Viceroy of this region to incorporate it into "Underland" , but in order to do that and insure the complete economic and infrastructural healing of Japan I must first ensure this countries stability.)

Teishi bakugeki-gai no bā ya kui wa, kairyū no jōkyō to wa nani no kankei mo nai mujitsu no minkan-jin o koroshite, gunji shisetsu ni gyakkō shite kidō suru: Karera no jiyū no senshi watashidearu to shuchō suru anata gata ni iu ni wa,-ji ga arukara samazamana terorist soshiki soshite suru Tatakau heishi o kidō suru to, watashi wa anata o ataete iru watashi to tatakau tame ni suru koto o kikai ni, watashi wa Nippon de wa kō goverment soshiki no subete nitaishite honkaku-tekina shōdo kyanpēn kaishi anouncing orimasunode,

(And so to the various terrorist organizations out there who claim to be freedom fighter i have the following to say to you: Stop bombing streets and bars and start going against military facilities, stop killing innocent civilians who have nothing to do with the current situation and start fighting soldiers, you want to fight me I am giving you that chance, because I am announcing the start a fully fledged scorched earth campaign against all of the anti-government organization in Japan)

"And when will this campaign start your highness" the news anchor on the respective channel which was broadcasting his speech asked.

"Right now" Lelouch said as the walls seeing around him fell revealing that it was nothing more than a stage background and it revealed that Lelouch was with his soldiers in the country side.

"Jeremiah begin!" Lelouch said to him.

"Yes my lord! Artillery open fire" Jeremiah said and the artillery started pounding the Blood of the Samurai headquarters.

"Blood of the Samurai! IT's time to bleed" Lelouch said as he mounted his knightmare frame and with the Lancelot besides him he led the charge of knights to the Blood o the samurai's headquarters.

xxxxxxxxxxx.

"And so it has begun…." C.C said to the others, yes it had truly begun.

**Read and review, let me know if I should continue.**


	3. Part III: The thorns of the rose

**Part three: The thorns of the rose.**

"…The prince surveyed the wind-swept valley from atop his steed. Overhead, in a sky threatening snow, large carrion birds circled in great numbers, shrilly impatient for the living to leave so they could feast on the dead. Adjusting the wolf pelts wrapped around his shoulder, he watched his legionnaires wade through the broken fields with blades drawn, making sure no one was trying to act clever. With their dark gray capes whipping in the breeze, the soldiers looked like so many wraiths, going about their grisly business.

**(Blood of the Samurai headquarters)**

"_It all happened so fast, we started bombarding with our artillery, they revealed their positions in order to fight back, in that moment Suzaku lead a flanking assault from the other side of the mountain caching them surprised and pounced upon them, we ask them to surrender…..they refuse and continue to fight against us…we have everything in our advantage to our side, but they still fight on…..so we have no choice but to kill them…we smash them, cu them, mangle them, and even though they are all dead, we still did not win."_

…after becoming governor of the region his father sent him and his legion on a punitive expedition to remind all of what happens to those who rise against the Empire. After a drawn out game of cat and mouse, he forced the belligerent Tribes into set battle. He stung them with ballista and catapult and taunted them with horse archers and then his legionnaires pushed forward to saw through their ranks. A charge by his cataphracts panicked his foes and sent them reeling. The rebels became trapped by their own baggage train and many were trampled during the desperate flight. He put half the men to the sword; the remainder and their dependents would be marched back to Pendragon and sold as slaves.

"…_each one of these 'terrorists' that die give me more power, more influence, I kill these few hundred's today in the hopes that tomorrow I have enough power to free their people…..taking one life to make a hundred more lives better…I realize that if my father heard me he would be proud, that thought makes me sick of myself and also terrifies me of what I am…..of what I am becoming….."_ Lelouch thought to himself as he looked at the above mentioned scene before him.

…but this was just a small part of the challenger, ahead of him a coalition of rebel tribes combined with foreign aid was marching through the region, raising the flag of rebellion against the Empire, lead by some claim a woman by the name of Karen from the Germanic tribes, and despite his victory here his army sustained heavy losses, and had to pull back to his winter camp to heal his men and rebuilt his forces, others would have a delighted expression on his face, but not he, he knew that this would be a hard and bloody struggle, but at the same time something inside him was delighted, after all when the higher the stakes in a game, the greater the pleasure that comes from playing it….and the greater the prized" 

Excerpt from Bed of Thorns

**(Tokyo ghetto , Zero's position)**

"Son of a bitch!" Tamaki said out loud.

"He's launched a full scale assault on the Blood of the Samurai!" Ohgi said as their base was only a few dozen miles from Tokyo, the sound of battle or rather the destruction of the Blood of the Samurai echoed throughout Kanto.

"There may be an opportunity here "Zero said to those present.

"What do you mean?" Kallen asked.

"Lelouch is personally leading that force, and with the recent purge of the nobility it means that there is no high ranking official here in Tokyo" Zero replied as he went to his computer and printed out some fake orders.

"So what does that mean?" Ohgi asked.

"It means when the cat's away the mice will play" Zero said as he then explained his plan to Ohgi's group.

**(Narita, JLF base a few hours after the attack on the Blood of the Samurai)**

There was a meeting being held which consisted not only of the JLF, but of the leaders of every major resistance group.

"The situation is desperate! With the massive overnight purge of the corrupt officials and aristocrats we now have lost much of the camouflage which allowed us to develop and gather our forces and resources over the years, a meeting like this has never occurred so you all understand the gravity of the situation" Katase said to those present.

"Understand it? I've lived it, I went to pick up some supplies and a minute before I reached the contacts they were all arrested by those soldiers of the Rose Prince, what do they call them Murilo, Mukilo?" the leader of the Yamato Alliance said.

"Murmilos" Todoh replied.

"In regards to the situation I propose we act and launch our own campaign against Brittannia, the time is now for our JLF to take center stage and rise up against the oppressors" Kusakabe said and everyone present cheered.

"Do not be reckless! We may have the strength to start a revolution, but are we cunning enough to win it? Or even survive the inevitable Brittannian counterattack which is sure to come from the mainland?" Todoh asked them.

"And what do you suggest we do?" Kusakabe asked him.

"Retreat or lie low until the storm passes" Todoh calmly replied.

"That is a very weak response coming from the man who was once called Kiseki no Todoh, has your courage faded with time?" Kusakabe asked him.

"Being brave and being hotheaded and reckless are two different states of mind "Todoh replied unfazed by Kusakabe's insult.

"Now now calm down! Todoh is right, we simply are not strong enough to go against Brittannia now, but Kusakabe is also right, we must act or forever be lost to history for inaction so this is what we will do: sooner or later we will face the Britannian army, we fight one major battle and the we hide and remake our forces" Kusakabe replied.

"If that is the case than I suggest we choose our battle ground" Todoh said to them and he presented his plan.

**(Tokyo settlement, Lelouch's quarters)**

"Yes Nunnally will be joining Ashford this week…..yes I will come and visit as soon as I can, goodbye Millie and about that date you are trying to hook me with Shirley I will see if my schedule is available" Lelouch closed the phone conversation he had with Millie, currently he was having dinner with Nunnally.

"Brother, what will happen to the people you just arrested?" Nunnally asked him.

"They will go to jail, they won't die so don't worry Nunnally I'll make sure they never die" Lelouch replied to her the hidden meaning of his words was that he would make their lives so miserable that they'd wish for death, but he would make sure they lived as long as possible.

"Thank goodness" Nunnally replied, she was holding his hand and she knew he would keep them alive, she knew that it wasn't out of kindness, but out of hate, but Nunnally was glad that blood wasn't spilled, at least not tonight

"Brother about the Blood of the samurai…I know that they were terrorists, but what they were fighting for….and the punishment you gave them it's…..well it was" Nunnally tried to find the right words, but then Lelouch cell phone rang once more.

Ring Ring Ring Ring.

"Hello Jeremiah…..what did you say?" Lelouch said as he jumped from the table and walked to where Suzaku slept, something big just went down.

**A few minutes later the main military warehouse for Honshu…**

"Now Captain tell me once more how it happened" Lelouch said to the officer who was in charge of the warehouse.

xxxxxxx.

_A group of Brittannian soldiers drove up to the base, one redheaded officer said to him._

"_Captain I have been ordered to deliver emergency supplies to the battle against the Blood of the Samurai" the red headed officer said and gave him the written order._

"_All of the supplies! Major we are not talking about a few rations and some rifles, I have almost 300 knightmares here and hundreds of boxes of ammunition and energy fillers, I will have to check this order with his highness" the officer said to her._

"_Captain do you hear that! The prince is out there fighting the terrorists, if we do not get the supplies to his force soon he might lose the battle or even loose his life, do you really want to deprive him of his supplies when he is in such a dire circumstance, you know what he does to those who are incompetent" the officer replied._

_The captain who was in charge then let them pass and take the knightmares and supplies, the memory of what happened only last night to the nobility was still fresh in his mind._

_xxxxxxx._

"So let me get this straight you let the terrorists take over 300 knightmares and 5o tons worth of ammunition and energy fillers from here" Lelouch said to the man.

"We were shown an order that you commanded the supplies your highness" the officer said now a audible tremble in his voice.

"Well this isn't a total disaster, you my fine man have gained some wisdom in regards to how protocol works….and you will use that wisdom on the front lines! Maybe the cannons will blow some sense into that empty shell you call a BRAIN!" Lelouch said to him and walked off.

As he walked he sensed a great pain, one that was very old and came at random come over him, Suzaku quickly noticed this and rushed his friend to a safe place where prying eyes would not see him, his weakness…..his curse…but also the mark of greatness.

**(Tokyo, Zero's location)**

"Here's to our first victory as Zero's soldiers!" Tamaki said and he raised his glass in a toast to victory, which the other did the same.

"The real merit is to our talented Kallen, you played your part perfectly" Zero said to her.

"All I did was follow your instructions Zero, we couldn't have done this without you or the uniforms you provided or that fake order you made" Kallen replied pleased of the great success they had achieved.

"You underestimate yourself Kallen, all I did was paint an already perfect statue, I did not sculpt it" Zero said to her which made Kallen blush slightly.

"There is one more thing I would like from you, you became acquainted with Lelouch during the banquet last night yes?"Zero asked her.

"I want you to visit him tomorrow and possibly befriend him, we could use him as a source of information"

Kallen opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Zero who raised his hand and added.

"Bear in mind that I am not asking you to play Mata Harry with him, just visit him, befriend him and have a word or two with him, any small talk even if it is unrelated militarily might give me insight to his next move" Lelouch replied to her.

**(The next day, Lelouch's apartment)**

"Miss Stadfelt I am happy that you decided to visit me." Lelouch said to her putting on his best lady killer look.

"After what I heard on the news about the warehouse I just had to see if you were alright" Kallen replied lying through her teeth.

"Well it is a great blow, but not fatal, one from which we…."Lelouch tried to finish his statement but he suddenly stopped as the pain returned and his face visible shoed it.

"…..can recover from…" he said as he had to support himself with his hands on the desk so as to not collapse.

"Are you alright?" Kallen said and was genuinely alarmed for him.

"I…am….gah!" Lelouch said as he started shivering, he then fell to the ground and started shaking and screaming.

"Kallen was shocked at what was happening, she instantly went for the comm. on Lelouch's desk to call the doctor, but was stopped by Lelouch who grabbed her foot.

"Don't…please don't" he pleaded with her as he then went back to his maniacal shacking and screaming trough clenched teeth.

Kallen was at a loss of what to do, but one thing was certain whatever was ailing him he would rather suffer than let it ne know that he was sick, that he wasn't the Great Rose Prince, that beneath the thorns he was…only human.

After the seizure died down Lelouch asked her to help him carry him to bed and to give him some medicine from a drawer next to the bed.

"What was that all about? I never saw something like that" Kallen said to him.

"Since you seen it I suppose you should know I have epilepsy…a gift from my mother's father who passed it onto me….It's funny the nobles always said that my mother brought tainted blood to the family..For once they were right" Lelouch said with a sarcastic chuckle which was mix with a cough of pain.

"Is it….deadly" Kallen asked hesitantly.

"No, it's not the type that kills, just the one which make you wish it finished the job…"Lelouch said as he turned to the window.

"…it can be controlled but medicine for most of the time, but…sometimes it manages to break free of its cage at random…sometimes the time between them is days, weeks, month, sometimes mere hours….it's funny the one constant thing in life is suffering" Lelouch said to her as he closed his eyes for a moment.

"I…I feel sorry for you and I…I…."Kallen said struggling to find the right words, but upon looking at him she realized that he was asleep.

"Royal bastard" she said playfully as she watched him sleep, his chest slowly rising and falling, his expression was peaceful and beautiful, it was unimaginable that someone like this was a member of such an evil empire…the thought of an angel being so demonic and horrible…..but then wasn't Lucifer also an angel once.

Half an hour latter….

Lelouch woke up from his slumber only to find that Kallen had left the room, he made a mental note to 'politely' request she keep his secret to herself latter, taking his cell phone and dialing a number he sent a signal for someone to meet him at a hotel room in half an hour.

And so he left for that room and once there he awaited the arrival of the person he summoned.

Knock*Knock*Knock.

Was heard on the door and Lelouch let her in, a woman who had black hair and was wearing a mask which covered the upper part of her face came in.

"I was beginning to think that you tired of me and had found another mistress" the woman which Lelouch only knew as Thorn said to him.

"I have other mistresses, some I took so I can use them for power, some to blackmail other and some because in pissed certain people off, so you shouldn't hold yourself in so high esteem" Lelouch said to her as he stripped himself of his clothes.

"And they all came and went, but you kept me, do you love me?" Thorn said in a playful manner as she too stripped until she was naked and embraced Lelouch.

"I only keep close to me those who are above the common rabble, be them commoners or nobles" Lelouch said to her, the answer was there and yet it wasn't at the same time, as he kissed her and they embraced each other, they tumbled on the bed where she would continue to pleasure him.

**(Zero's location)**

"He seemed affected by what happened?" Zero responded to Kallen's report on what happened during her visit.

"Yes, you could even say that he collapsed from it" Kallen replied and it wasn't stretching the lie to great, the fact was that despite Lelouch being Brittannian, and being the one who vowed to exterminate them she found that she genuinely felt sorry for him and to her for one reason or the other it felt that she would betray him if she revealed his sickness, and that was what sacred her.

"Rather disappointing that the Rose Prince is so weak "Zero replied to her.

"Why do they call him the Rose Prince and why is South America called Underland ?" Tamaki said out loud.

"You mean you don't know?" Ohgi said as he was a bit surprised.

"I know what he did there, but I just don't get the names, do you?" Tamaki asked Ohgi.

"Well I could offer my interpretation, now the nickname to South America is…" Ohgi said to him.

**(Lelouch's hotel room)**

"…_.Underland, another name for Wonderland the place from the book Written by Lewis Carol, in the book Underland is a place where everything is upside won, what and who is considered insane is sane and what mans yes is no…..a chaotic Land where every rule is reversed…it's actually a pretty good description of South America…and I it's ruler after putting the Area back on its feet and eliminating a great deal of corruption have been nicknamed the Rose prince, the name comes from a comment one of the nobles their said as he was arrested 'I may look as beautiful as a Rose, but if you get close I will prick you and you will belled to death'…hell has no commentary like those of a woman scorned I guess."_ Lelouch thought to himself as he got off out of bed.

"Leaving so soon? I know I am not the best of company but am I really that boring?" Thorn said to him.

"_I meet this woman at a mask ball a few weeks ago, I thought that she was just another woman who came to seek my favor and would ask it after seducing me, but she hasn't asked me for a single thing so I continued seeing her in secret out of curiosity so I may find out what she really wanted…and that's how she became my secret mistress"_ he thought to himself.

"I have a great deal of responsibilities so I can't stay here, you know that" Lelouch replied.

"By the way while you were asleep your friend Millie left you a message about going on a date with Shirley, she seems like a nice girl" Thorn said to him and she was sincere in his voice.

"Sleeping with me and then trying to make me see another woman…..you really are sometime else thorn, no wonder I enjoy your company" Lelouch replied with a smile as he gave her a kiss and left.

**(Stadfelt manner)**

Kallen was returning to her home after she gave her report to Zero, once she got into the house she saw that her step mother along with a young Brittannian she met a few times at other parties was waiting for her.

"It's about time you came home, you know you could at least give me a head's up on home long you intend to be gone from home" her stepmother said to her.

"Your concern for my health is very touching" she said sarcastically.

"Who's this?" Kallen said as she took a sip from a glass of water she poured herself.

"Your fiancée" her stepmother replied which made Kallen spit out her drink.

"What the hell did you say!"she replied.

**(Zero's location)**

"Things are starting to get interesting" C.C suddenly said to Zero.

"What are you talking about? And what makes you say that?" Zero asked her.

"I'm a witch, witches know everything and we don't reveal our secrets" C.C replied with a chuckle, one which Zero reciprocitated.

Yes things were certainly getting interesting and a bit weird and even a little bit mad, but Japan was now part of Underland , so in a sense these weird happenings could even be called…..normal in this land?

**Author's note:**

**Read and review let me know if I should continue, also I got permission from calreflector.**


	4. Part IV: The Red Rose and the Black Rose

**Part IV: The Red Rose and the Black Rose.**

The Prince's scouts brought reports of a great army massing in the north, waiting for the river to freeze so it could cross it, knowing that his force was even at full strength greatly outnumbered by the enemy he knew that he needed reinforcements, a part of the regions tribes did not take arms with Karen so he quickly rode there to get their aid, for a great challenge faced him

Excerpt from Bed of Thorns

**(JLF Base Narita)**

"As you all know I've summoned you here because I like me you feel that the time for our Japan Liberation Front to take center stage has arrived" Kusakabe said, and receive a collective approval from those gathered around him.

"Also, like me you feel our leader's are not up to the task" he continued.

"Are you suggesting a coup d'état, Colonel?" one of the men present asked.

"Heaven's no, I am merely saying that we need to show General Katase and that coward Todoh that the hour is upon us and we must act" he replied .

"And what do you suggest we do, sir" another one of the soldiers present asked.

**(Flower shop, Tokyo Concession)**

Kallen had been outraged when she returned home a few weeks ago to find that due to some arrangement her step mother had made to cover some of her debts to another family she betrothed Kallen to the son of that respective house and Kallen hated him he was arrogant, pompous and smelled funny. That was the reasons she was in a flower shop, she wanted to buy hundreds of orchids, she knew that he was allergic to hem and place them in the house to make him suffer when he tried to visit her, she was doing that when she bumped into someone familiar.

"Your highness!" Kallen said as she saluted him and gave a short bow.

"Drop the formalities Miss Stadfelt, we're not at court, also I would like for you to call me Lelouch and if possible to call you Kallen" Lelouch replied.

"Of course" Kallen replied which made Lelouch give her a smile which made her blush slightly.

"It's good to see you again, Oh and I believe congratulations are in order, I heard you got engaged" Lelouch said to Kallen.

"Not of my choice, I hate the bastard, in fact I am planning on buying flowers he is allergic too and filling the house with them just to keep him out, that horn dog just keeps coming onto me, I'd like nothing more than to castrate him" Kallen replied with genuine hate in her voice.

"I could do that for you" Lelouch said to her.

"Do what?"

"Have him castrated, a standard military combat knife would do the job rather nicely" Lelouch replied.

"To clean, a dull edge butter knife would be better" Kallen replied and they both shared a laugh

"Are you shopping for a date?" Kallen asked with a conspirative snicker.

"Yes, my friend Millie is setting me up with another one of my friends Shirley for a date, and I am having trouble with the bouquet, could you help me I? I want something that says I like you, but at the same time to not say I love you, something neutral perhaps" Lelouch said to Kallen.

"How about Yellow roses?" Kallen said and pointed the aforementioned flowers to him.

"Why yes that's perfect thank you Kallen!" Lelouch said and he turned to her and moved closer to her with the intent of giving her a kiss on the cheek as a thank you, but at the same moment Kallen turned her head towards him and their lips met in a kiss.

For a moment they just froze both of them, and they looked at each other.

"A…..a…I should get going I have a date….."Lelouch nervously said.

"Y-yeah, and I've got someone to poison" Kallen replied and they both rushed in opposite directions, Kallen unlike Lelouch had her face flushed in red.

**(Tokyo airport)**

Nunnally and Suzaku were at the airport waiting for a guest to arrive, her plane landed in and Euphie rushed out of it and hugged them both.

"It's been so long!" She squealed happily.

"Wait till big brother finds out you're here, I wish I could see the surprise on his face!" Nunnally said overflowing with happiness upon reuniting with Euphie.

"You'll be able to see him Nunnally, one day you will be able to" Euphie replied as she hugged her again.

As they walked to the car, Euphie whispered to Suzaku:

"How is he? Do the seizures come often?"

"From time to time, more often now due to the stress he is under from governing this region" Suzaku replied and they both feared for Lelouch.

Suzaku feared greatly for his friend, after Lelouch's mother was assassinated years ago, he took Nunnally and fled their country in voluntary exile out of fear.

That was how he and Lelouch met, after the invasion, Suzaku went forward with his plan to change the Empire from within, when Lelouch became governor of South America three years ago he was hesitant to leave his country, but he explained to him that by doing so and helping him with South America they had a change to make change, first there and after they built a powerbase to extend their influence.

His vision of an Empire without its Darwinism was becoming true with Lelouch's help, without him he did not know what he would do.

**(Kawaguchi convention center hotel)**

Lelouch and Shirley were both having lunch, and Rivals and Millie were watching them from outside the café.

"Do you really think they'll finally become a couple?"Rivals whispered to Millie.

"I hope so! After all his mother was a commoner, maybe they'll get married, we could use some orange hair in our royal family after all" Millie said to Rivals.

"Hey Lulu is it true what they say about Zero that he managed to stole a whole warehouse of equipment?" Shirley asked him.

"Unfortunately yes it's true, a side effect of my great purge of the nobility is the lack of administrators and supervisors….if I wasn't so zealous that might have never happened, maybe I'm no better than the nobles that I deposed, after all they believed that they're the only ones who are right and everybody else is wrong" Lelouch replied to her, he had know Shirley and the other for a few year after Millie accepted an invitation from him to visit South America, Millie brought Rivals and Shirley along and they had been his friend ever since.

*Whack* Shirley gave him a smack on his head with her spoon.

"Ouch! What was that for!" Lelouch said as he rubbed his forehead

"For being so stubborn that's why, you always do things and then blame yourself for every little thing that goes wrong, you keep carrying a pile of brink on your back when it's not necessary, you have to stop doing that, so listen up the nobles you arrested were bad guys right?" Shirley said to him

"Right!"

"So why are you sad? You did a good thing, it's not your fault what happened, you have to stop listening only to what your head tells you and listen to what your heart says to you…you're only human Lelouch, you shouldn't force yourself to bare the worlds burdens on your shoulders" Shirley said to him.

"Shirley that's…." Lelouch said as he leaned closer to her, his eyes now centered on her face

"Yes, it's….." Shirley also said leaning forward.

"That's….."Lelouch replied as their faces were only an inch from each other.

"It'ssss….." Shirley said as she inhaled a breath of air.

"That's a quote from Doctor Who" Lelouch replied nonchalantly breaking the mood.

"You recognized it didn't you" Shirley said now turning from blushing teenager to embarrassed nerd.

"Well you're not the only Whovian around little lady" Lelouch said in a false Texas accent which mad her giggle.

"By the way hitting a member of the royal family is a capital offence…"Lelouch leaned forward and whispered "…..Maybe I should punish you, you bad bad girl". his tone had no sexual innuendo in it, merely contained a tone which suggested woody banter between friends, but this is Shirley we are talking about

And that was when Shirley's switch activated.

_Several scenarios flashed through Shirley's mind:_

_Lelouch sensei please let me pass the test, I'll do anything._

_No officer, I promise I'll be good_

_Please mister taxman I can't pay the mortgage, couldn't you do something about it?"_

_****And so on and so on****_

_After a few other scenarios, one which involved Glass and jumper cables which I could not describe without a vomit bag, Shirley was frozen with embarrassment._

Lelouch was a bit puzzled by her lack of response, but he was cut short by his cell phone ringing.

"Yes Nunnally" Lelouch said to her.

"Brother Suzaku and myself were picking up Euphie who was coming here as a surprise when something horrible happened" Nunnally replied.

'What happened?" Lelouch said as he jumped from his seat which made Shirley come out of her daze.

As Nunnally told him what happened so did the Hi-Tv to Japan and the rest of the world.

**(Ohgi's location)**

"Amazing isn't it, a month ago we barely had a handful of people, and an old Glasgow that barely worked, now we have more we have more Sutherlands than we have people, with Zero things sure make a difference" Ohgi said as he watched the new recruits training with the machines.

"I ain't saying he can't get the job done, but I will say that I don't thrust that guy until he shows his face" Tamaki said to Ohgi.

"Come on Tamaki, he told us why he couldn't show it" Ohgi replied.

"You mean to tell me you actually believed that crap, he lied to us plain and simple" Tamaki said to him.

"Look, I considered that, but he must have a reason for what he that, I think we shouldn't push him to do it, if we do he may leave, do you want that?" Ohgi asked Tamaki.

"No…..but it still don't like it" Tamaki replied.

A few minutes later they were alerted by another member that something big was going on.

**(Zero's room)**

"Are you sure you want to continue, you could still back out and disappear, if you go any further your only reward will be hands red with blood and a path of loneliness, do you really want to go through that?" C.C said as she moved her fingers through his white- blond hair.

"I did this before, also I want to know, if you could be both an idealist and practical, not just practical" Zero replied to her.

"Also I am not the one you should be with, you know that" Zero told her.

"There's plenty of time for me to meet Lelouch, for now I will stay with you Zero" she replied.

"Thank you…you don't know what it means to have someone who understands you in a world filled with people who don't" Zero replied and hugged her.

Just then a knock on the door came, Ohgi was summoning them to tell them the news.

Ashford Academy had been taken over by Kusakabe's men.

**(Outside Ashford)**

"I'm Kusakabe of the Japan Liberation Front. This stand we are taking is for the freedom of Japan and our countrymen." Kusakabe addressed as the hostages looked on in fear,

"Even though you are not soldiers you are still Brittannians! You are the ones who rule and oppress us! Sit still be quiet and you'll be fine! If you don't…" Kusakabe trailed off leaving what could happen to the hostages to their own imaginations.

**xxxxxx.**

Lelouch who was with Suzaku and Jeremiah looked on at the situation in front of them, because of Lelouch's date Millie, Rivals and Nunnally were not captured, but Nina who stayed at Ashford to work on her project was caught with the other students.

"We have surrounded the school grounds, however the open fields which surrounds it and fence make the school an almost perfect snipers point, we tried sending men trough the various bushes and trees on campus, but they were killed when mines planted by the terrorists detonated, we are currently trying to send in a strike team trough the sewers, which leads under the girls wash room, which is in the gym were the students are hostage, once there we will burst through the floor and rescue them" Jeremiah informed Lelouch as the operation was taking place.

xxxxxxx

The Sutherland team went full speed down the tunnel ready to attack. What they did realize is that they were walking right into a trap the JLF had set.

"Enemy detected, moving through the underground passage, as expected." A member of the JLF who was manning one of the shrapnel cannons reported to his partner.

"Rodger that! Raikou, Secondary startup! Left and right quad-linkage legs, locked. Super electromagnetic shrapnel cannon voltage, confirmed!" The second man said.

The Sutherlands were fast approaching their target. "I think these guys have anti-Knightmare rifles. Spread out and break their ranks." The first pilot ordered the other two before they were fired upon by something wholly different.

"Super magnetic shrapnel cannon fire!" the button was pressed and bits of metal went flying obliterating the three Sutherlands and killing the pilots inside of them.

"One shot!" a member of Kusakabe's entourage said when the words lost came up on the screen

"Yes it works!" another cheered. "The Raikou really works!"

"What do you think of that, Britannian pigs?" Kusakabe said smugly.

xxxxxx.

"All wiped out?" Jeremiah said to the officer who presented the report.

"Yes, the enemy has modified a linear cannon into some kind of anti-knightmare machine" the officer replied.

"Give me a visual feed" Lelouch said to the officer.

"Lelouch sent me in the Lancelot, it has shields so it can withstand some wear and tear, I can get close to that thing and then destroy it" Suzaku said to Lelouch.

Euphie who was with them was worried about sending Suzaku on such a dangerous mission.

Lelouch pondered on that option for a moment, he then asked Lloyd:

"Can the Lancelot's shields withstand something like that?"

"Yes your highness, I personally designed them and construct them, Hephaestus himself couldn't have done a better job" Lloyd replied.

Lelouch was still hesitant to use his friend as intentional cannon fodder, even if he knew of Suzaku's skills and that he could probably pull it off.

"Lelouch innocent people are in danger, we must act!" Suzaku said to him, which was on the boundary of giving him an order.

The Prince came before the wise man and asked him to give him his warriors.

"We may or may not follow you, but our answer depends whether or not you past or test, you must answer one question, if you get it right you we will give your our troops, if you get it wrong the man behind you will cut off your head" the old man replied.

"Open a channel with the terrorists, maybe I can negotiate the hostages release, in the mean time prepare the Lancelot for battle, if things go sour we will have use plan B" Lelouch replied.

"Agreed" The Prince said as he moved to the executioners block were he placed his head and awaited the question, his officers tried to persuade him to not do it, but if he didn't get the troops they would all die anyway, by the Germans hands or his father hands, this at least was a quick death.

**(Zero's location)**

"What should we do?" Kallen said to those present.

"We must rescue the hostages" Zero replied.

"Why should we risk our lives for a bunch of stinking Brits?" Tamaki asked.

"The people in there are children, Britannian children, but children none the less, do you want them to die, because I doubt they will be set free even if the demands are met"

"Also this action does nothing but give the fanatics who say that the Japanese and numbers in general are nothing but animals more fuel to the fire, if we don't rescue them this country could be put under martial law"

Zero replied which calmed Tamaki down and made sense, Zero then handed them their uniforms and told them of his plan.

(**Ashford Academy)**

Lelouch attempt to negotiate with Kusakabe had failed, the man simply refused to understand that the only person who could fulfill his demands was his father.

"Sir! You're not going to believe this but Zero is outside our perimeter and wishes to talk to you" Jeremiah said to him.

At this Lelouch got up from his chair and went outside to great him and their for the first time the two men finally met.

"What happens when a warrior which is immortal meets a warrior who is invincible" the old man asked the Prince as the executioners blade was still hovering over him.

"So you're Zero? I expected you to be taller" Lelouch said to the man from his knightmares cockpit.

"And you're the Rose Prince, I expected you to be older" Zero said from the top of the van he and the others had commissioned.

"So what have you to offer?" Lelouch asked which caught Zero off guard.

"What do you mean you're highness?" Zero said to him.

"Nobody come into a hostile camp like this unless you have something to offer, so what do you want?" Lelouch replied.

"I can save the hostages, let me pass and I will do just that" Zero said to him.

"All right you have a green light" Lelouch replied without a moment's hesitation.

"That was unexpected, how can you be sure I am not a member of the JLF?" Zero asked him and was genially curious.

"Kusakabe said he'd never fight next to someone who hides his face" Lelouch replied.

"Guess the secret's out" Zero replied.

"Actually I just suspected it, you just confirmed it" Lelouch replied with a smile on his face.

"Unless that lie is in fact the truth and I am enforcing the lie in order to deceive you" Zero replied.

"Just because that sentence is smart doesn't mean it can confuse me" Lelouch replied to him

xxxxxxxxxxx.

In another position Diethard Reed was filming what was happening.

"_These guys are something else! Both sides are trying to deceive the other, it's like Napoleon and Wellington, Caesar and Eowin, these guys are incredible" _Diethard thought to himself as he watched the verbal confrontation continue

xxxxxxxxxx.

"I'd like to continue this verbal confrontation, but there are lives at stake so I will be on my way" Zero replied and Lelouch let the van pass.

He then gestured to Jeremiah for him to come closer,

"Tell Suzaku to get ready to launch, while Kusakabe is distracted by Zero we will begin and with luck we will save the hostages and be rid of both Zero and the JLF" Lelouch said to him.

"Kill three bids with one stone, I like the sound of that my lord" Jeremiah said to him.

"Well I try to be productive" Lelouch replied with a smile on his face.

**(Inside Ashford)**

"So you have no intention of joining me?" Zero said to Kusakabe

"First take off your mask Zero, isn't it rude of you?" Kusakabe replied.

"You're right about that, but before I do so answer this: What do you hope to accomplish with these actions?" Zero said to him.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to tell the world that Japan is not dead" Kusakabe replied.

"Too old….." Zero said as he shook his head.

"What do you mean" Kusakabe asked.

"You're too old, you're way of thinking is obsolete, you could have been better off if you died in the invasion years ago, at least then you would have died like a man, but here you are nothing more than a grandfather clock in the age of digital time, a ghost which still haunts it's former home long after it passed away, but refuses to accept the truth" Zero said to him.

**(Gym area, where the students were kept)**

Nina who always had a fear of elevens was shacking in her boots, just then a JLF guard walked next to her and she lost it.

"E-eleven". she said her voice trembling and full of fear.

"What did you say! Were Japanese, not eleven! You come with me, Colonel Kusakabe likes to reeducate snobs like you" The soldier angrily said to her as she picked her up, the other hostages too frightened to move.

*BANG*

The rescue team sent by Zero arrived at the gym and Tamaki shot the aforementioned man in the head, the blood splattered on Nina's face covering her glasses, hands trembling she wiped them clean and was horrified on what she saw, the man who had lifted had half his face blown off, the brain was visible, blood flowed like a small creek from his head, his tong was tangling, his teeth were bleeding, it was a horrifying site to see.

"Come one you teme, wee r her to resque u" Tamaki said in his broken English as he grab Nina by the arm and dragged the traumatized girl to safety as Zero pushed the button and detonated the above mentioned explosives.

**(Sewer system, Suzaku's position)**

ME boost." Suzaku said to himself as he activated the mechanism while waiting for Cecile to give him the signal, and then it came…

"Lancelot now launching!" she announced over the radio. And he quickly activated his land spinners to speed down the tunnel, approaching the linear cannon faster than he could have imagined.

"Reaction confirmed! One enemy Knightmare! It moves twice as fast as the others!" a JLF member who was still manning the shrapnel cannon announced.

"So what? It'll end up like the rest!" another said firing up the cannon. "Supper electromagnetic shrapnel cannon FIRE!"

The same ammunition that had done in the Sutherlands that had attempted this earlier was fired towards the Lancelot. Suzaku pulled back and dodged it they fired once more and he used the momentum to drive up on to the walls and ceiling of the sewer tunnel to dodge the hail of metal again.

Suzaku used the Blaze Luminous shields to deflect another barrage from the linear cannon as he continued advancing on his target. "Yes! It can take this level of destruction!" he said to himself while looking at the screen in the cockpit.

"That thing broke through salvo number five! I can't believe it!" one of the JLF members said beginning to panic. It seemed there was no stopping this thing.

"Just don't panic!" the other said becoming quite nervous himself. "Deploy the quad-link free-fire arm gun! Batteries too!" he ordered. "We'll shield this final defense with our lives!"

"Miss Cecile." Suzaku said over his radio "It's time for me to use the V.A.R.I.S."

"Suzaku no! you could get killed!" she protested as he deflected another attack.

"There is no room for me to evade! I'll risk getting blasted to take the first shot!" he said taking aim with his V.A.R.I.S.

The JLF in the shrapnel cannon saw as the white Knightmare approached. It was either do or die and they had already made their decision "Maximum output! I don't give a damn if it wrecks the guns! Be prepared to die defending this spot! SMASH HIM!" they fired once more but Suzaku was ready. He gave a blast of the V.A.R.I.S. disintegrating the barrage and blowing up the Raikou and killing the men inside

Suzaku then bursted from beneath the girls washroom and prepared to drive his frame to were the hostages were kept, but then

*BOOM*

The detonator Zero pushed activated the strategically positioned bombs filling other sections of Ashford which were filled with terrorists with shrapnel killing them.

**(Ashford academy, Kusakabe's room)**

"ZERO! We have nothing left to discuss" Kusakabe said as he drew his sword and lunged at Zero, only to suddenly stop in mid air by some strange force, he was then moved by that very same force into the ceiling, where the chandelier twisted itself into shackles for Kusakabe's arms and legs, Kusakabe's two bodyguards drew their pistols on Zero, but they t won became frozen by some unknown force and were moved by that force to the couch and were tied down by material from the couch.

"I it's you! You're doing this!" Kusakabe said as he was shiting his pants from how much he was scared at the moment.

"I generally don't like to sue this power, but sometimes the situation asks that I do" Zero said as he walked a few steps forward and Kusakabe was moved by Zero's power from the ceiling and right in front of Zero.

"What a-are y-you?" Kusakabe said as he was now sweating greatly.

"As I said before you are a ghost which still haunts this world" Zero said as he talked into his radio to see if the others were doing their part, satisfied that they did he took out a detonator from his pocket, walked towards Kusakabe and said:"….and I'm the exorcist…" he then pushed the button.

**(Ashford Academy)**

Outside Ashford there was confusion at what happened, for a moment Suzaku, Lelouch and everybody else thought that Kusakabe blew them up, until Zero's voice was heard.

"People of Brittannia, do not be afraid, I have rescued the hostages and I will return them to you as quick as I can" Zero said and the students who were escorted by the Black Knights were seen.

"_And if we make a move against you they become hostages again, you'll also probably make one of your speeches, well not while I'm around"_ Lelouch said as he told Jeremiah to bring him a microphone.

"People fear us or rally behind us as you see fit!" Zero continued. "We are the Black Knights! We of the Black Knights stand with all those who have no weapons to wield regardless of whether they be Elevens or Brittannians! The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage and then wanted to mercilessly execute them!"

" It was a wonton and meaningless act. We could not stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out! Clovis the former governor was no different his regime was one of cruelty and execution were innocent Japanese were killed without reason, therefore I have punished him as well."

"I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one sided massacre of the week by the strong. The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed! Where ever oppressors have used their power by attacking those who are powerless we shall appear again! No matter how mighty or how formidable our foe may be."

"Those of you with power fear us!" he said with a dramatic flip of the cape so he could extend his arms for emphasis. "Those of you without it rally behind us! We the Black Knights shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"

"And who gave you that right" A voice which was amplified by speakers was heard just outside the campus, everyone turned and they saw it was Lelouch's voice.

"I repeat my question who gave you that right? Because from what I know only God has the power to judge mankind, and who do you think you are? Do you consider yourself as wise as God, God's equal? God himself? Answer the question Zero!" Lelouch said to him which caught him off guard.

"What happens when a warrior who is immortal meets one who is invincible…?" The prince said to the wise man as after a moment of pondering and the answer came to him.

"And what would you want your highness? Justice to never come to a land which is screaming for it? Constantan abuse and slavery to exist forever" Zero said as he involuntarily took step forward to where Lelouch was positioned.

"I am all up for justice, but I do not approve of cold blooded murder, the JLF should have been arrested and brought to trial and judged, but I guess things like the law and an individual's rights don't matter to the mighty Zero!" Lelouch said as he also walked towards were Zero was positioned.

"_That's right put that madman in his place Lelouch!" _Suzaku thought to himself as he watched the verbal confrontation.

Both men now only a few feet away started circling each other like to lions in the same cage.

"A person's rights? You're the last one, who should talk about something like that, your laws treat the Japanese as nothing more but slaves" Zero countered.

"The laws are flawed but we have laws none the less, you're only law is I have a gun so I am the law" Lelouch said to him.

"That is the typical thought pattern of a conqueror, he always sees thing form his perspective, no matter how unjust his rule he still thinks it's the right thing to do" Zero said to him.

"And you're way of doing things is better,? go in guns blazing and blow whoever disagrees with you to smithereens!" Lelouch said and pointed to the school's windows that still had smoke coming out of them.

"Typical for royalty, you always find some way of twisting the truth to make you look good" Zero said to him.

"The same thing can be said for you and your blood thirsty ways, and you still haven't answered my question, who gave you the right to announce that you are the one who is to judge the world, because I don't see any hallow on your head or wings from your back, but I do see horns" Lelouch said to him.

"Ah! The humor of a slaveholder" Zero said to him.

"The lying tongue of a madman with a gun who thinks himself God!" Lelouch replied.

"Try to paint me as a monster as much as you like, but the world knows the truth and your lying, thieving ways are not going to deter that" Zero countered.

"And what is the truth? I tell you what it is, you've taken the law into your own hand, millenniums of civilization brought through countless trial and error you proclaimed them to be worthless, I thought that you were just some fanatic who knows how to flex his gums, but now I see that you really think you have the right and power to judge the world, you're not the first one to do so, Hitler, Stalin, Poll-Pot, all believed the same thing and we all know what they really were" Lelouch replied and that hit home

"You're nothing but a hypocrite who says lies to fool the people into false adoration, I now see your true face!" Zero said to him.

"Your lie may have had some power behind it if you weren't hiding yours, I wonder what you really look like under that mask or are your sins and lies so great and numerous that you can't even show your face because of it?" Lelouch replied.

Both men were now at their boiling point and they both jumped and drew their guns at one and other, both now had the other's gun barrel an inch away from their left eye.

The world and the Black Knights and Murmilos froze as both their masters, both Titans were locked down in a stalemate, the world held its breath…

"…They both loose…." The Prince replied as the executioners axe was still above his head.

"You can lie as much as you want your highness, but these people deserve freedom" Zero said to him.

"That I agree with you, but can't freedom be earned in another way? Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther they both wanted freedom for their people, and they got it without spilling a single drop of blood, if you really cared for this land then you tried to do the same…but no I am wrong and you're right, and no matter what I say you will never convinced to even reconsider your beliefs" Lelouch said as a very risky and crazy plan came to mind.

"You want to start a revolution, well here's your change" Lelouch said as he tossed his pistol aside.

"Open fire" Lelouch bluntly said to Zero which shocked the whole world.

"W-What are you saying?" Zero said truly astounded at what happened.

"You want to start a war well here is your change, or maybe you can't shoot me while looking me into the eyes, so I will turn around, or better yet I will also get on my knees, so open fire" Lelouch said to him and he did just that, but Zero still hesitated, the fact that he was still alive meant that the plan might work so Lelouch pressed on.

"Well what are you waiting for? This is what you wanted so open fire! And years from now when people ask you how you managed to defeat the Empire you'll say that I did it by shooting a defenseless man in the back while he was on his knees, that will be your only legacy, that will be your only achievement, your only glory, so shoot me and you may win battles from now on, you may even win the war but you will still lose for the world will see your for what you really are!" Lelouch said and Zero's hand was now visibly shaking from the implications, no one knew what to do, it was as if time had stopped.

"I am nothing like what you describe me to be" Zero said and he lowered his gun and placed it back in its holster.

And time restarted again.

"You're answer is acceptable, the southern marsh tribes will fight for you" the elder replied.

"You saved innocent lives today Zero, for that I am grateful so for today I will call a cease fire, but you are still my enemy, tomorrow we will face each other again" Lelouch said as he got up from his knees but did not bother to turn around.

Zero and his Black Knights then left the area.

Privately Lelouch agreed with Zero that his methods were more efficient if he had no other choice he would have probably be doing what Zero was doing, but he was a prince so he had the chance to change things without bloodshed and although it would take longer, he would do it, simply because everyone else said you couldn't, the world said he was wrong…so he had to be right.

xxxxxxxxxx.

He walked back into the command deck, where *SLAP* Euphie gave him a slap on the cheek, unfortunately for Lelouch his seizure started acting up again when Euphie slapped him.

"Don't you ever do something like that again!" She said to him, but her anger for his foolishness was immediately dissipated as she saw him tremble, quickly getting Suzaku's help, she along with him grabbed Lelouch's body and held him until the seizure passed.

"_A few minutes early and the whole world would have seen just how weak, how pathetic I really am, maybe this seizure is to remind me that I am not immortal and that I shouldn't take such risks again, I've known since my first seizure that this would be my downfall, that it could appear while I am in combat or at a critical moment of my life and destroy everything I worked for, whoever plays the game of power rises only to eventually fall, it's just a matter of when and today just wasn't my time yet"_ he thought to himself as he passed into slumber, Euphie had a lecture for him about how reckless he is, and he would probably get it latter, but for now she would let him sleep.

xxxxxxxxxx.

"I'm getting worried about him Suzaku, when he is under stress his medication is burned faster leaving him vulnerable to another seizure, I know that it won't kill him, but I…but I….don't know what to do" Euphie said as she started crying, Suzaku wrapped his arms around her to comfort her, it wasn't proper, it wasn't decent, but Euphie needed a shoulder to cry on so for once he would break the rules.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

The next morning Lelouch woke up and upon looking into Euphie's room saw that she and Suzaku had slept the previous night together.

"_Normally a big brother would pounce on the bastard who deflowered his sister, but the fact is that this isn't the first time they had sex, and this isn't the first time I turned a blind eye and even covered for them without them knowing…mainly because I am the last person who ought to criticize someone for their love life, after the dinner with Shirley and what happened with the JLF and Zero I realized that life can come over and turn your world upside down at any moment, like a house of cards it on day collapses under its own weight, and until that moment comes you must live it to the fullest, I will continue to see Thorn, I will take Shirley as a girlfriend, I might even try to seduce Kallen, and when they find out, when my house of cards finally collapse I will have no regrets, no shame, no pity and no regret,… after all what's the point of being alive if you don't enjoy life …."_

**Authors note:**

**Read and review, let me know if I should continue.**


	5. Part V: Healing the broken flowers

**Part V: Healing the broken flowers.**

"_This is Hi-Tv news, bringing you the latest update on what's going on today, Zero to Hero, Greater on his knees than on his feat, amazing, incredible, bold and even reckless and crazy is just few of the reactions that were caused by what happened in Ashford Academy last month"_

"_The Rose Prince's daring actions against Zero and his labor laws announced by the Princes Euphemia and the official assimilation of Japan into Underland has made all those who supports the Rose Prince and his faction have paraded into the streets celebrating the Prince for his bravery and daring"_

"_His critics have called him reckless and bordering on insanity,"_

"_Called the Ogre by his opponents and simply the Prince by his supporters there are many things that can or can't be said about his highness Prince Lelouch, but one thing is certain, he is great story material"_

"_This is Diethard Reed, Hi-Tv news"_

**(Imperial Palace, Emperors garden)**

"I know why you are here my dear Marianne, and my response to your request is that you are exaggerating" Charles said to his wife who came to him in the body of Anya.

"Exaggerating? You know that with Japan Lelouch is now to powerful, he may one day rebel against you, I know you and I've come to tell you to not harm him" Marianne said and considering the body she was inhabiting it was….creepy to say the least.

"Marianne my dear I do not care for petty thing such as the Empire or even the world, only accomplishing the Ragnarok connection, also if Lelouch thinks he can become Emperor and do a better job than me then he is welcome to try, in my opinion if he succeeds than that would be best for all…well maybe not for the nobility, but you get my point" Charles said to her as he tended to the roses

"You really are an immature child Charles" Marianne said to him with a smile.

Charles just looked at her for a few moments and thought to himself:

"_She is calling me a child? Now I've seen everything"_

**(Lloyd's research laboratory)**

Jeremiah was with Lloyd and they were testing the new prototype models of knightmares which Lelouch had commissioned a few days after Ashford to build.

"They should be ready for field duty in a day or so, I must say I've never built something so experimental, what did you say their names were?" Lloyd asked Jeremiah.

"Hoplomachus, Dimachaerii and Retiarius "Jeremiah said to him.

First one has a balance between defense and offense, the second is great for offensive action and close quarters combat, he sacrifices defense to do so, and the third has maximum mobility and agility and a very exotic fighting style, in theory the final frame is versatile enough to be a Swiss knife, but are you sure they are good for combat?" Lloyd asked him.

"In knightmare combat often because of the speed of the frame we forfeit long range rifle combat for mêlée that happens more often that it did in the past, our standard issue frames are poor in mêlée, so these frames have been designed for that as well as long range" Jeremiah replied.

"It's not that I want to criticize, but I know that the prince is an average pilot at best, shouldn't I make his frame with more armor and firepower?" Lloyd asked.

"The prince tried various fighting styles which were based on the gladiators of ancient Rome since they excelled in single combat, he failed miserably with most styles, but when he tried that of Retiarius it was like he became a different man, he even managed to best me once and even fight Suzaku to a standstill on several occasions, just wait until he is on the field, he will surprise you "Jeremiah replied filled with confidence.

**(Asia minor, newly created Area 18)**

"Did you see what Lelouch did a few days ago! Kneeling in front of that filthy terrorist and egging him to execute him, Lelouch must be crazy!" Cornelia said to Schneizell.

"The only difference between madness and brilliance is the results, if Lelouch had failed and had been killed it would have been madness, but since Lelouch's tactic worked it's brilliance" Schneizell replied to her.

"You seem unconcerned with the fact that one of our siblings has suicidal tendencies" Cornelia said to Schneizell and sent him a scowl.

"No he doesn't, he loves Nunnally to much to die and let her alone, will you be going to Area 11 to chastise him on this?" Schneizell replied

"No, the E.U is going to launch an offensive here soon and I can't leave my post, but I will give him a very big chastise on the comm." Cornelia said to him

" I Know you like to play mother hen, but please don't be too hard on the lad" Schneizell replied which caused a slight blush from Cornelia.

**(Tokyo Park)**

Kallen was walking through the park,.

"_It's been a few weeks since Zero announced us to the world, since then we have fought a hard campaign against corrupt officials, greedy corporations, drug cartels, just about anybody who makes money of the suffering of others, we quickly became heroes…but were not the only ones"_ Kallen thought to herself as she saw a scene before her she never thought she saw.

A group of what looked like college students were beating up a Japanese hot dog wander, behind the college students two men appeared, one was of Hispanic descent, the other was Caucasian.

"All right, break it up you little punks" the Hispanic man said.

"Fuck you man, who do you think you are?" the leader of the gang said to them.

"I'm detective Batista, and this is detective Morgan, section thirteen operatives, commonly known as the Jungle Rats" Angel said to them.

"T-the j-jungle rats!" the leader of the group and the rest of the group panicked.

"You know that specially created section of the Underland police which goes undercover and makes sure no social injustice is dealt with in Underland" Morgan said to them.

"You know….things like nobles abusing citizens, citizens abuse numbers, we catch them and throw them in our jail, stuff like that" Morgan said as a van belonging to the police came and they arrested the young men.

"You don't throw people into disease prone rat infested dungeons, do you?" one of the teens asked.

"Of course not…..our rats have had all their shots taken" Angel said to the teen as they finished arresting them.

"Well don't look so surprised, this country is part of Underland, so everything's now upside-down, the guilty are caught and the innocent are protected. It's a real but house "Morgan replied to the startled hot dog wander, before he and Angel left to continue their route.

"So how's Harrison doing in school?" Angel asked him as they walked.

"Pretty good actually, especially with Aster and Cody there to help him" Morgan replied as they walked off.

"…_..like I said we are not the only ones who are heroes, those men, they walk the streets disguised as normal civilians and arrest those who abuse others, before they came a veil of fear was over every Japanese life, and even most of the brittannian citizens out of fear from the nobles, but if you look at the streets, it's like a heavy veil has been lifted and a breath of fresh air has come into it, Japan is one officially part of Underland, and the cities are starting to receive funding from the empire to rebuilt the ghetto's ,Lelouch's words a few weeks ago shook the world, and many people in Japan have embraced his belief of doing something and avoiding bloodshed, I still feel that Zero's the only person we should follow and with him we could even win, but I started thinking…..how high will the price be for our freedom….could we really be wrong….and Lelouch be right?"_ Kallen thought to herself as she walked to her home.

xxxxxxxxxxx.

**(Shirley's position)**

"_Lulu and I have been going out for almost a month now, but I am still not satisfied, I see how he rules the land, how he threats his subjects and how he smiles at his friends, he also smiles at me, but the smile which says 'I don't know what I do without you he saves for his subordinates, his comrades, he never shows that smile to me, and I want that smile…."_

Shirley though to herself as she was outside the Murmilo knightmare corps headquarters.

Her reason for coming here was to enlist into the knightmare corps.

"…_..whatever the cost or hardship…"_ she thought to herself as she went inside for her scheduled tryout for the corps.

**(Stadfelt manner)**

Kallen walked into the manor and was surprised to see her fiancée John waiting for her in the living room.

"I see you had the orchids removed" Kallen said to him with bitterness in her tone.

"For obvious reasons yes, and where have you been?" John asked her.

"I don't see how that's any of your business" Kallen said to him.

"You've been seeing him again haven't you, that numbers lover" John said clearly angry.

"Him!" Kallen said as she readied her wallet knife and prepared herself.

"Prince Lelouch" John said as he tossed a picture of when he and Kallen had accidentally kissed each other in the flower shop.

"Were did you get this…you've been spying on me haven't you!" Kallen said a mixture of relief and anger forming in her.

"You are my future wife, I have every right to know where you are and as you're fiancée I am telling you to break of this at once "John said as he shouted it to her.

"I am not nor will I ever bee your wife, and who I share my affections with is none of your concern" Kallen said deciding to torture the man.

"Why you slut!" John said and he moved to slap her, only for Kallen to catch his arm, twist it, until he was on his knee, she then gave him a knee kick in the face, she then grabbed him by the troughs and lifted him up.

"Like I said I am not your wife nor will I ever bee" Kallen said to him and she then threw his into the walls.

"What, w-what's he got that I don't?" John said as he painfully tried to get up on his feet, blood was gushing out from his mouth.

"He's a man who you see as a monster, you're a monster who is seen as a man…"Kallen said as she walked until she was in front of him, kneeled until their face were on the same level and said to him

"I'll be going now, Lelouch always orders ice cream when we have our moments together and I wouldn't want it to melt" she said to john as she left.

After she was gone John got up on his feet, went to a desk, picked up his cell phone and dialed a number.

"This is the Tokyo Gazette, how can we help you?" the person on the other line said to him.

**(Lelouch's hotel room)**

"So you've decided to go out with Shirley have you, good for you!" Thorn said to him and there was genuine happiness in her voice.

"That's not the reaction a person generally expects from a woman when he tells them he's seeing another person" Lelouch said to Thorn.

"If I were like any other women would you still see me?" Thorn asked as she wiggled her calf's.

"I suppose not…" Lelouch said a sad tone in his voice.

"Lelouch you haven't been taking our relationship serious have you? We met each other at that ball, I have needs, you have needs, so we booth help each other, we're sexfriends not lovers, so if you want to be with this girl, you shouldn't avoid it for a non-serious relationship."Thorn said to him.

Lelouch didn't answer immediately, he just stared into space for a few moments.

"What's wrong?" Thorn asked him.

"IT's nothing, but when you put it like that I…. I feel so used" Lelouch said to her which made her chuckle.

"You know I should get an Imperial Medal of Honor for extraordinary services to the Empire" Thorn said to him.

"A medal of Honor? For what services?" Lelouch asked.

"Why if it wasn't for me you would have gone mad with stress by now, hell I'm the only reason half the Empire doesn't go *puff*, so like I said I should get a medal "she replied.

"I'll put you in for one" Lelouch replied as he got up.

"You know Thorn when are you going to let me see your face?" he said to her as he got dressed.

"Take this off! Why I'd feel naked without it" Thorn replied despite the fact that she was already naked and wearing only the mask.

"You'd feel naked without it?" Lelouch replied as she gave him a nod.

"I'm not going to go there, see you around" Lelouch replied as he left to return to work.

(**Black Knights position)**

"You threw him into the wall? Way to go Kallen!" Inoue said to Kallen

"I enjoyed that part, but I also blurted out that I am having a relationship with Lelouch, I'm regretting saying that now" Kallen said to her.

"Why don't you just do the guy?" Tamaki asked her.

"Excuse me!" Kallen said as her cheeks became redder than her hair.

"I mean why not, the guy's rich, young, handsome, and from the gossip columns he's pretty viral, hell I'd sleep with him, just look at how he looked in a dress at last year's Imperial costume charity ball" Tamaki said and waived the piece of article to them.

"Tamaki will you stop with the, OMG he's….beautiful" Ohgi said as he looked at the flimsy and the other joined him and saw Lelouch.

"So why don't you do the guy, I mean we could even get some information from him, you he 'slides' some info to you, ha ha ha ha h" Tamaki laughed as he received a strong punch from Kallen.

"That's enough!" Zero said as he appeared before them.

"He started it "Kallen asked defensively.

"I know I heard it all, but putting aside Tamaki's crude humor we have more pressing matter to attend to" Zero said and he gestured to Ohgi to begin his briefing about the refrain cartels.

xxxxxx.

A few minutes latter

xxxxxx.

After they all left to get ready for their raid, Zero caught Kallen when she was alone.

"Kallen although it is none of my business to meddle in your affairs just know this, you can't choose your family and you can't choose who you fall in love with, you either accept them or reject them, if you do not make a clear decision you will forever be haunted by regret of your inactions, I am saying this to you as a commander and as a concern friend, live your life without regrets Kallen….for none of us know when it will end" Zero said and left Kallen alone to ponder her thoughts.

**(Suzaku's room)**

"_Japan, a island country in the pacific, my country, seven years ago it was conquered by Brittannia, I was the son of Japan's last prime minister and even I don't know how it happened, maybe we were to blame, maybe they were to blame, maybe we were both to blame or maybe we were both innocent, I know that it doesn't make a lot of sense, but in the end does war make sense?"_

"_No it doesn't, when I was young Lelouch, myself and Nunnally witnessed the war with our own eyes, we walked through fields of corpses of women, children…..sometimes we only saw what was left of them, that changed me, I saw what happens when you use violence to achieve a means, death and sadness, I tried to tell my father that all was lost, that we should juts face reality, but he was a stubborn old man, he said if we cannot win then let us die fighting, so I killed him"_

"_After that I saw how my people lost everything, our country, our freedom, even our name, I wanted to give it back to them, but at the same time the memory of the war was still fresh in my mind and also the memory of the might of the empire"_

"_We could not beat them when we had a vast army, now with only a shadow of the former force how can we hope to beat them, most people knew that and accepted the fact that we lost"_

"_I accepted it and I decide to help my people, I thought about how I would do it, days, weeks, months this was my only thought and then a plan formed within me:"_

"_I would enroll in the military and would advance through the ranks on skill alone, in times of war even the most socially outcast could advance from pauper to prince, there were others who did so before, Emperor Han, General Albert Sidney Johnston did it, Napoleon Bonaparte was the best and arguably most successful of them, if they could do it why couldn't I?"_

"_So I would earn rank though skill in the Empire, by doing so I would encourage others to join the army so they too could obtain riches and rank, and one day I would have so many followers and high enough rank I would have the power to bring reform to the empire"_

"_That was my plan, I put effort into it and was determined to see it through, I thought that it would take many years or even decades to pull it off, but thanks to Lelouch we are close to that objective"_

"_But now that man Zero suddenly appears, he has given them the idea that you could win a revolution against the empire, to shed more blood for their goals, he is no different than my father, we either are victorious and supreme or we die trying…..we die trying"_

"_So am I right and Zero wrong? Am I a saint and Zero a devil, the truth is I don't know, up until now I killed my father, in the eyes of my countrymen I sold my soul, I killed dozens of people in combat, so by all means I should be in hell, so am I in hell?...No, I am in the arms of a beautiful redhead, her names Euphie, she understands me and she supports me, I always thought that I should risk my life to achieve my goal, the more I risk it the more I would come closer to achieving it, and if I died trying….I wouldn't mind that at all, a man like me deserves death, but when I look into her eyes all I can think of is her kiss and embrace and how I never want to leave it"_

"_And now about evil…An evil country, a place which is filled with people who only want to do another person harm, I don't know if such a place really exists, but many people thing that Brittannia is the closest thing to it, but when I look at Lelouch, Shirley, at Nunnally and at Euphie I cannot thing that all Brittannian's are evil, it's just that the ones who are in charge are wrong"_

"_And so any confusion, any doubt any misconception I may have is replaced by an answer, those who are in charge must be replaced, we will advance, we will win and we will change the Empire, people may say that I am delusional ,but I do not care what people think, the only persons who I care what think about me are my friends, for them, for the people who died, for those who are suffering and for those who are yet to be born I will seek power to end suffering and bring about a new Empire, A new Brittannia"_

"_I may not be able to erase the sins of the past, but if necessary I will throw myself on the eternal wheel of attack, pain and revenge to stop it….this I swear"_

Suzaku thought to himself as he and Euphie were having an indoor picnic in his room.

"What wrong Suzaku?" Euphie said to him.

"Nothing's wrong, everything's going to be alright…I'll make sure of it…" Suzaku said to her in a comforting tone as he stroke her cheeks, but deep own Euphie wanted to believe it, but she didn't.

A few moments latter Suzaku was summoned for an attack on the refrain carter being put together by Lelouch.

xxxxxxx.

*Bang*

The door to the refrain warehouse was blown open and Zero and the Black Knight's rushed in to destroy the cartel, Kallen also did the same with her Sutherland, as they were fighting a mounted police frame appeared from nowhere, it was about to fire on the, when a rocket from an RPG destroyed it.

xxxxxx.

Lelouch who was on the other side of the warehouse was with his Royal guard and they were cutting their way through the cartel members, he was on an upper level and saw from there a knightmare firing into something on the other side of the warehouse, battle instincts kicking in, he involuntarily left his group and snuck to a lower level to an optimal firing position and destroyed the enemy frame.

And as the Black Knights advanced deeper into the warehouse they encountered Lelouch, isolated from his men.

"We really should stop meeting like this your highness, or do you have a crush on me and you want us to keep bumping into each other" Zero said to him.

"I only like pussy, are you saying you're a pussy?" Lelouch replied to him unfazed and not showing a drop of fear to the fact that he was outnumbered.

xxxxxxxxx.

Lelouch looked in front of him, the gun barrels of the members of the Black Knights all bared down on him, during the fight with the cartel members he became isolated from his forces.

"Give up your highness, you could at the most only get one shot until you are cut down, surely you can't kill us all" Zero said to him.

"One shot is all I need" Lelouch replied and immediately everyone knew what he was referring.

"And what do you think you will accomplish by killing me?" Zero asked.

"The world would be a better place" Lelouch replied.

"Better place? For whom? For the countless peoples who are enslaved by your empire, by the…"

"Stop with the big dramatic speech Zero, you can't fool me, I know what you really are and what you're doing, you claim that you are justice, that you want to see the wicked punished, but that's not what you are doing, you are bringing vengeance to these lands, not justice, and that makes you no better that the people you hunt down." Lelouch replied.

"Do you not believe that the sins of the Empire are so great that revenge is only a matter of time until it comes upon it?" Zero replied.

"And once again I ask you who are you to judge us? God? Is that who you think you are? Because only God has the power to judge mankind…no you're no God and you are not avatar of justice, because what you are doing is putting a gun into the hands of anybody who has a grudge against the Empire, you may be able to control them now, and even fool them with that sharp tongue of yours, but when the cheers die down, the screams of the innocent who got caught in the crossfire because of you and suffer when you're soldiers become power drunk will be heard the world will see what you really are."

"So why should I not sacrifice my life to stop you? You are growing more powerful every day? I know just how big a threat you are, just like I know you are recording this conversation, with the intent of using it latter" Lelouch's aid to him which caught Zero visibly off guard.

"How did you know that I am recording this?" Zero said as he showed Lelouch the hidden camera from inside his cloak.

"I didn't, it was a bluff….and you fell for it….."Lelouch said as a smile crept on his face.

"Looks like I am not the only man of power in this room, looks like batman found his joker" Zero replied.

"You are no Batman….." Lelouch replied.

"Lelouch!" Suzaku and the Murmilos finally located their commander and rushed to his aide.

A standoff between the Black Knights and the Murmilos was now in the makings.

"There's been enough blood for one night don't you think and the refrain victims here need medical attention, I suggest we call a temporary truce, there's plenty of time to go and jump a each other's throats don't you agree?"Zero said to him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

"Sir" Lelouch's command mike said to him.

"What is it Jeremiah?" Lelouch said to him through the comm.

"We found refrain junkies in another part of the warehouse, you should see this sir" Jeremiah replied.

"We'll be right there" Lelouch replied and turned to Zero.

"A truce it is then…..for now" Lelouch said as he slowly lowered his gun, Zero did the same and both Black Knights and Murmilos lowered slowly but cautiously their weapons, but were still aware off each other.

xxxxxxxxx.

Both sides then walked to were the refrain victims were.

"What the hell" Tamaki said as he saw them.

People who were talking about moments in the past as if they were there and not in the present.

"When our present becomes to unbearable to live in it, we want to escape to a more happier time, that says a lot of things" Zero said as he politely looked to Lelouch's direction.

Lelouch said nothing only looked back at him.

"You should be going your highness, my men and I will take care of the refrain victims" Zero said to him.

"And why should I let you go?" Lelouch said to him.

"Because if you don't the Knightmare frame behind you all will open fire "Lelouch said and at that the Murmilos turned around and saw that Kallen had stealth fully sneaked up to their rear.

"Lay down your weapons and leave and I want your word you will not pursue us any more tonight" Zero told them.

"What guarantee do I have you won't kill us if we lower our weapons and agree?" Lelouch asked.

"I am simply returning the favor you showed us at Ashford, and if I killed you here and now nothing good would come out of it, I want to show the world that you are not invincible, here none will see you fall" Zero replied.

Knowing that in this situation the alternative was death, Lelouch decided to take the long shot and he agreed to Zero's demand and ordered his men to lower their weapons.

"I told you that I was nothing like what you described me" Zero said to him as Lelouch and his men walked with great caution to leave the warehouse.

"We'll see" Lelouch replied a bitter taste in his mouth as he retreated.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to let them go? What if he calls for reinforcements?" Ohgi whispered to Zero.

"He gave us his word, if he breaks it than he proves he is nothing but a hypocrite, his ego is our salvation, now let's get these people to a hospital" Zero said to Ohgi

xxxxxxxxxxxxx.

**(Tokyo Hospital)**

Kallen sat in front of her mother's hospital bed.

She thought she knew her mother.

She thought she knew the woman who fell in love with a brittannian, a man who abandoned her and her two children, a woman who then had forsaken her pride and allowed herself to be a servant to her ex-husband new wife.

But she didn't know the woman who loved her children more than life itself, the woman who sacrificed her pride so she could be near her daughter, even if it meant her daughter hated her, even if she knew what kind of life she would lead.

"Be careful Kallen, don't hurt yourself" Her mother said from her refrain induced coma

"I'll always be there for you Kallen, my lovely daughter".

Tears now streamed in Kallen's eyes as the implications of what was really going on in that house fell upon her.

_you can't choose your family and you can't choose who you fall in love with, you either accept them or reject them_

Zero's words echoed in her head and the truth in them flooded her mind.

"Wait, just wait mother, when you are cured I will have c hanged the world" Kallen said to her.

That was what Kallen intended to do , a new world, s softer one a kinder one, one where there is no hate.

**(Tokyo Brittannian Concession)**

"_Animals, they're all animals!"_ Nina thought to herself as she walked towards her destination, upon reaching it she knocked on the door.

"Yes, what can I help you with?" The man dressed in a military uniform asked her.

"I'd like to join your organization" Nina said to the man.

"Very well, let's get you in so you can fill the necessary paperwork" the man replied as Nina entered the headquarters of the Purist faction.

**Read and review let me know if I should continue.**


	6. Part VI: Trimming the garden

**Part VI: Trimming the garden.**

**(Tokyo Airport)**

The winter season was hard as the Prince still had not received the reinforcements promised by the southern tribes, and the situation looked grim as Karen's forces were only a few days march away from his position, just then his gate watcher came in with a report that troops had arrived at the front gate and a horn which was of a familiar sounding was heard

"Great one, we the humble servants of Allah have acknowledged your greatness and divinity….." Euphie said as Lelouch and Suzaku were preparing to go to Area 18 and she and Nunnally.

"…And we humbly request that you assume the post of Viceroy of our land, we thank you for taking the time to read this letter….."Euphie said and eyeballed him.

"So how does it feel to become the sheik of Asia Minor 'Great One'….." Euphie said and was playfully teasing him.

"I will do whatever I can" Lelouch replied and he and Suzaku gave Euphie and Nunnally hugs and they departed for Area 18.

**(Black Knights Location)**

The Black Knights for their recent activities had received a few Burai's from Kyoto and the Guren for them, the Burais weren't much to fan over, but the Guren was since it was the first true blue Japanese knightmare frame.

The Prince looked at saw that his old Friend Suz-al-aku had come with his Horse archer legions to hi, so he quickly rushed down to embrace his friend

"Do you like this machine Kallen?" Zero asked her.

"My friend it is wonderful to see you! But what are you doing in Gaul? Anatolia is a great distance away from here?" The prince said to him.

"It's fantastic, we have finally been acknowledged by Kyoto!" Kallen said to him as she was very happy.

"I heard about the revolt and with permission from your father and mine brought my horse archers to fight with you, like we did against the savage Goths years ago" Suz-al aku replied to his friend and they both shared a laugh as The Prince watched with joy as the 1000 horse archers of Parthia entered his forth.

"You're wrong about that Kallen, this is a test, to see if we are worthy of their sponsorship" Zero replied.

"Even so it's a good sing" Kallen relied as Zero tossed her the started key for the Guren.

"The Guren is your frame Kallen" Zero told her.

"Mine? But considering it's defensive capabilities shouldn't you be the one to pilot it?" Kallen said out of concern for him.

"You are our ace pilot, I am just the commander, this machine belong to you because when the bullets start flying that's when it will make the difference " Zero replied to her.

Just then one new recruit came into the room carrying newspaper.

"Listen to this: The Rose Prince has left the country temporarily to go to Asia Minor, this means that the Brittannian's are leaderless!" he replied.

"Zero-sama, order us and we will strike hard on them now that they have their guard down!" Another one said to him and the Black Knights in the warehouse all gathered and agreed with him.

"So you consider yourself to be ready for war?"Zero said as he took a few step to the aforementioned Black Knight and once he was face to face with him he took out his gun and shot a few rounds into the ceiling

*BANG*BANG*BANG

"W-why did you do that sir?" the Black Knight asked.

"A better question is why didn't you do anything? You didn't draw you gun, you didn't move back to avoid getting hit, you didn't try to jump away, you didn't even sensed that I would fire the gun, your spirit may be ready for war, but your body and mind isn't…..and the same goes for all of you, you all need to train in our captured Sutherlands to gain some battle experience, and then we will go to war..i know you are all eager for battle and you all have waited a long time, but we must not rush this, we must do this right if we are to have victory" Zero said and that calmed everybody down.

xxxxxx.

After the Black Knights Kallen saw that Zero was going to his quarters, and as he walked away he took another glance at the group which were so eager for battle a moment ago.

…_..what you are doing is putting a gun into the hands of anybody who has a grudge against the Empire, you may be able to control them now…_

Lelouch's words from the warehouse raid flashed in her mind, Kallen had no illusions, she knew she was fighting for her people's freedom, for justice, for their country, she knew that despite being acquaintances with him and knowing he was a good person, Lelouch was a prince and their mortal enemy, she knew the Empire is evil, she knew they are good, but still….that doesn't change the fact that Lelouch was right about some things.

They were putting a gun into the hands of everyone who had a grudge against the Empire, and this point only those who hated the Empire with a passion had joined them and she knew most of them from other resistance cell's, she had a good idea of just how much they hated the empire.

She knew that in war people who were not involve in the fight got caught in the crossfire, and despite their noble cause, does that justify the fact that each step they took forward is paved in blood?...

**(Tokyo, )**

Days later the savage hoards of the Germans and rebels Gauls assembled outside the fortress, the promised help had not yet arrived, not from the Southern tribes, nor from the Empire

Kewell and the members of the Purist faction were having a rally.

"I come before you as a Brittanian who is proud of his heritage and I have this to say: Our way of life is in jeopardy! We Brittannian's have always had the strongest country, the mightiest army, the highest ranking among the world's nations and we have this because we are superior to anybody else on the planet!" Kewell said as his audience applauded.

"Today we clean our land of these whores, these cunts who came here to enslave us and steal from our lands" Karen said to her men as the erupted into a battle cheer.

"There are some people who say we are not born superior, than we are all born equal; well I say that is wrong! Is a rat the equal of a dog, is a dog the equal of a horse? Of course it isn't! And like that we are superior to all, we have the divine right to rule all other races and nations' do not let yourself be deceived by the lye of equality! We are stronger! We are smarter! And we will inherit the earth!"

"That woman is one angry cunt" Suz-al-aku whispered to his friend.

"Those types are the best to fuck" The prince replied to him.

Kewell said as his crowd bursted into applause.

The crowd was checked by soldiers with rifles and a few frames with riot shields surrounding them in case they got out off hand, Jeremiah who was commanding the force was sitting at a café table was supervising the operation as his order arrived.

He ordered a coffee, orange juice, milk, and a beer.

The coffee was to make him alert, the juice for energy, the milk to keep his stomach plastered and the beer was to help him forget what an awful day it would be, and from the looks of it he would have to order another beer.

The enemy army then started approaching the walls with their ladders and other siege equipment, their intend was now clear as their massive army marched to annihilate the greatly outnumbered force inside the fort, it seemed like the enemy had at least 4 to 5 times their number.

Just then Viletta came and sat next to him.

"You seem upset Lord Jeremiah" Viletta said to him in a friendly manner.

"Upset? Why should I be upset, your juts taking advantage of the prince's absence to try to take over the country" Jeremiah said as he started to consume his drinks.

"That's not true, and even if it were we only have the best intentions for the empire" Viletta said to him.

"No offense Viletta, but save that crap for the peerage committee, I know you joined this group because you want to earn a title and I can understand that, but if you really want that you should join Underland" Jeremiah replied.

"I can't simply abandon them, after I pledged myself to them that would be dishonorable" Viletta replied.

At this Jeremiah smiled, he knew that after the Prince would be done with the purist he would probably incorporate Viletta into the Murmilos, honorable men or women were very rare…..especially in times like these.

After a few minutes the enemy army had reached the fortress.

Despite the massive disadvantage the Prince was not scared, he had been in difficult situations before.

"Begin phase one" he ordered to his adjutant as he looked at the advancing army

**(Area 18)**

Lelouch looked at the landscape and was walking to a destination indicated by his ships scanners.

"What is essential for a new ruler to do to consolidate his regime?" Lelouch asked Suzaku who was walking besides him.

Karen's forces started scaling the walls, they did not bother to notice the fact that the walls were slightly angled towards the interior of the forth as they started to climb

"Destroy the opposition's forces?" Suzaku said to him.

"Now!"The prince ordered as logs who were placed on the edges of the walls were pushed forward and rolled down the walls and smashed the ladder and devastating the enemy soldiers who were in front of their formation.

"An army, a nation, a leader can fall, but if a people refuse to accept the new regime, then the new regime is lost, tell me what was the biggest flaw of this region?" Lelouch said to him.

"Water was so scarce that they had to refine it from salt water, it cost more than sakuradite or gasoline" Suzaku said to him.

"And that is what we must remedy!" Lelouch replied.

They reached their destination where a crowd of Arabs was gathered to see the new ruler; they were next to a mountain.

"Why didn't their former leadership do this before us?" Suzaku asked.

"Three reasons: It costs a lot, it doesn't bring profit, and when people have a higher standard of living, they start to think for themselves, and no good president wants people who actually think, only those who obey" Lelouch replied to his friend, the disgust in his voice was clear.

Lelouch walked to the mountains' surface, put his ear against it, tapped a few times like he was searching for something, he then gestured for a knightmare to drill at a certain location.

After the knightmare finished drilling Lelouch opened an umbrella he had with him and after a few confused looks from the natives water poured out from where the hole was made.

The Arabs started cheering upon seeing the sight of the precious resource.

"Are you going to make one of your speeches now Lelouch?" Suzaku asked his friend.

"No need, action speak loader than words" Lelouch said as he and Suzaku made their war to the government central, there was still a few changes to be made to the government before they could leave it in the hands of one of their trusted lieutenants.

As they went the Arabs who were gathered changed from being frightened of Brittannia to cheering Lelouch as he made his way.

It was a funny site, a perfect example of how fickle the love of a people can be…..and how easy one can abandon one's pride for a better life.

As the enemy army was still in shock from the logs Lelouch gave the order for his archers to spair no arrow and hit them with everything while the enemy retreated to its own camp.

**(Zero's position, Lake Kawaguchi)**

Zero had found himself in a rather peculiar position, he communicated to the JLF that he desired a meeting with them, but the ancient one's from Kyoto decided that he needed a screen test with one of their member before he would be taken to their position, so here he was in a five start restaurant that was vacant waiting for his contact.

"Sorry to keep you waiting" the voice of Kaguya Sumeragi was heard as she entered the room.

"Not at all Lady Kaguya" Zero said as she sat at the table.

"Now the reason for requesting this meeting is…."

Zero was cut off by some servants who brought what looked like very expensive Japanese and Brittannian cuisine.

"_Oysters, veil, broccoli, potato, rice, pork stake and chocolate, these are all food's you serve when you have a hot date…..some things never change"_ Zero thought to himself as he looked at Kaguya.

"What made you order European food? Why not all traditional cuisine?" Zero asked her.

"I thought you'd like some food that reminds you of home" Kaguya replied with a smile.

"And what makes you think I am Caucasian?" Zero said to her.

"You're clothes are of European style" Kaguya replied with a smile.

"Perhaps I am only trying to deceive you by wearing these clothes" Zero replied.

"Perhaps, but if you were Japanese why would you wear clothes which represents Europe and by default Brittannia, we choose our clothes subconsciously based on our environment" Kaguya said as she gestured to her outfit, it was an evening kimono.

"Touché" Zero said

"But let me ask you, how am I to eat this food with this mask on?" Zero said to her.

"Take it off" Kaguya said as she took a bite of food and said 'ummmmmm' to indicate just how delicious the food is.

"You're very cunning and ruthless" Zero said as he moved his head until his mouth was next to Kaguya's ear.

"I love that in a woman" he said to her which sent shivers down her spine.

"Y-yes….well you wanted to talk to me about something?" Kaguya said to him as she blushed.

"_Getting of the defensive ey, looks like I won this round"_ Zero said to himself with a chuckle under the mask.

"Yes, I would like to arrange a meeting with the JLF" Zero said as started slicing a piece of meat from his plate.

"What do you hope to accomplish from it?" Kaguya asked.

"I wish to form an alliance with the JLF, surely you realize that the main flaw in the resistance movement is that it is decentralized, while that is a good tactic if you're fighting a guerilla campaign, it's bad when you want to wage a war of liberation" Zero said to her.

"Do you intend to start a revolution?" Kaguya said with glee and surprise.

"I have already started one, I hope you can relay my request as soon as possible….now then" Zero said as he raised himself from his chair, walked until he was next to Kaguya, Kaguya's bodyguards moved for their guns, but she restrained them as Zero grabbed her chin with his right arm and raised it to his face.

With his left arm he pushed a certain button on his mask, his mask then opened the portion of the mouth and Zero gave Kaguya a kiss on the lips, this stunned both her and her bodyguards.

Zero then pulled away and he saw that she was visibly blushing, his mask once again covered his mouth and he said to her.

"I hope that our next meeting will be more pleasure than business, good day to you My lady" Zero replied with a bow and left the room.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Kaguya screamed from joy as she cupped her cheeks and started blushing like crazy.

"He kissed me! Zero-sama actually kissed me!" Kaguya said as she got up from her chair and started spinning and twirling with glee. Much to her bodyguards surprise.

A cheer of joy came from the men inside the fortress as they successfully repelled the first wave on invaders.

**(Ashford Academy)**

"You managed to get into the Murmilos knightmare corps, that's awesome!" Rivals said to Shirley as he and Millie hugged to congratulate her.

"I'm as surprised as you are who would have thought I was actually pretty good in a knightmare" Shirley said with glee.

Just then Nina entered the room; she too was dressed in a military uniform.

"Hey, Nina !, Guess what! Shirley managed to join to the Murmilos!" Millie said to her as they noticed she was also in military uniform.

"Maybe we will be in the same unit, what faction are you part of?" Shirley asked her.

"I'm under Lord Kewell" Nina said which surprised those present.

"K-Kewell, but isn't he the leader of the…." Rivals said and he hesitated to finish his sentence

"Purist faction" Nina provided the rest of the sentence.

It has widely know that Lelouch stood for equal rights and integration of the numbers, The Purists stood for the opposite, since his arrival a few months ago in Japan, the Murmilos and the Purists had become mortal enemies, they would publicly insult each other and brawls between the two were common.

They were mortal enemies, plain and simple and now this happened! Two best friends, Nina and Shirley now on opposing sides of their own country.

Both girls were silent as they stared at each other, until Shirley broke it by extending her hand and saying with a hesitance in her voice to Nina:

"Good luck"

"To you to" Nina said as she shook her hand and both girls turned around and walked into opposite directions.

The scene in itself was as grand as it was minor and as significant as it was of no importance, on the one hand it was the silent and mutual dissolution of a friendship brought about by circumstances beyond their control, on the other hand it was a representation that in war nothing remains pure and untainted, that even in the most unlikely places sides are drawn, which inevitably signals confrontation, destruction…and eventually pain….

**(Cairo, Egypt's Capital a week later)**

Lelouch and Suzaku were watching news footage of what was going on in Japan.

"_Major Kewell leader of the Purist faction was arrested this morning for sexual assault on a woman and detained at the Tokyo state penitentiary, while the prosecution found video footage of the act and semen traces inside the woman, the defense claims that the act was role play and full consent on the woman's part was involved"_

"_In other news, Lelouch vi Brittannia Called the Rose Prince, King of the numbers, the Prince of Underland has gotten himself a new name of Sheik of Asia Minor as it is the newest acquisition of the Underland organization, his highness has begun a massive irrigation program in the country reminiscent of the process applied in Underland before which turned it into the Empire's Bread basked, when asked to comment his highness simply replied: I only regret I couldn't do more"_

"_I doubt anybody else could have, this is Diethard Reed, Hi-TV news"_

"It seems like first blood and first victory belongs to us now" Suz-al-aku said to his friend.

"That should make them even more determined than before for them to try to spread our legs and fuck us, I don't like getting fuck, I just like fucking others so let's move on to phase two " The Prince replied to his friend., as his soldiers now opened the gates to let him take his horse archers to bombard the enemy as they fell back.

"I understand the necessity to remove him from power so h is organization is dissolved and he may pay for his military crimes, but to accuse him of raping someone?" Suzaku asked his friend.

"It's not enough to jus kill or incarcerate someone, even if you do that he may become even more powerful if he has a good reputation, we must not only destroy our enemies body, but also their very existence, if we don't they will come back to haunt us" Lelouch replied to his friend and saw that he was unease about that.

A second attack wave came, and this time with every single soldier their was, as the assaulted the fort Lelouch gave the order for phase two, and three hundred riders hidden in the nearby forest came out and attacked the now unguarded camp of the enemy setting it ablaze destroying their food supply.

"Don't be so gloomy my friend, take peace in knowing that this is the most righteous way when dealing with scum like these, with Kewell gone, we can disband the purist faction and now we can start focus on military victories against Europe and Asia, it's time for us to take this to the limit" Lelouch said to him as they both prepared to return to Japan.

"What do you think they will do now?" Suz-al aku asked the Prince.

"They will be forced to retreat since they are in danger of starving and they know that they cannot take this fortress with an assault, our time on the defensive is over, our march to ultimate victory begins now!"

**Author's note:**

**Read and Review, let me know if I should continue**


	7. Part VII: the hill garden part I

**Part VII: the hill garden part I**

**Murmilos position, training ground.**

Shirley was practicing knightmare combat with her squad unit, when the regimental commander came into the room.

"Listen up men, Prince Lelouch and sir Kururugi will be returning within the week from Asia minor, and we have been ordered to prepare to move out at a moment's notice, looks like we will have our first taste of battle soon" the men replied to the cheers of those around.

Shirley also joined with them in cheering, since now she would show to Lelouch what she can do, that she wants to be besides him no matter where he goes.

**(Lelouch's private plane)**

"Shirley has managed to pass the test to join our knightmare corps, and Nina is now a member of the Purists!" Lelouch said to Suzaku who sat next to him.

"I'm afraid it's true, I just don't understand how all this could have happened, we've only been gone three weeks from Japan" Suzaku replied to him..

"Good thing we didn't stay a whole month" Lelouch said and they both shared a chuckle.

"By the way Lelouch why are your siblings Castor and Pollex and Guinevere coming to Japan, don't they think you're doing a good job by yourself?" Suzaku asked him.

"That's the problem I'm doing a too good a job, they are trying to find flaws in my accomplishments and steal some of my thunder after I did most of the hard work" Lelouch replied disgust was in his voice.

"Do you know of an incident that happened to Nunnally a few days ago?" Suzaku asked him attempting to brighten his mood.

"What happened?" Lelouch asked him.

xxxxxxxx.

_Nunnally who was temporary governor while Lelouch was away was in a meeting with Euphie and the officials who governed Japan._

"_In conclusion I suggest we devote our resources to the immediate construction of the prospected project" one of the officials said and the other agreed._

"_Wait, that project you referred to contains disadvantages to the Japanese population, we do not approve of it and want it rewritten until the disadvantages are gone" Euphie said to them and Nunnally agreed with her._

"_Princesses Nunnally, Euphemia, I know that this seems to have flaws in it with regards to the eleven population, but I assure you that it is only in the short term, thrust us and leave the development of this country to us advisers who have experience in these matters" the official replied._

"_Mister Benedict, I-I am the acting governor and if you do not obey my command, then I-I will have you arrested on the charge of defying the royal house!" Nunnally barely managed to say and this mad the man jump along with the other officials_

_Xxxxxxxx_

HA ha! She actually said that to them, good for her!" Lelouch replied as his heart swelled with pride for his little sister

"I'd expect nothing less from one who bares your blood!" A voice was heard coming from the bathroom, and Lelouch and Suzaku's latest comrade came from it.

"You seam extremely happy to come with us Mustafa" Suzaku said to him as Mustafa said next to them and gave each of them a hug.

"Of course! After a year of killing European dogs who only know how to run away I have the opportunity to fight alongside my two friends and face the fearsome Zero in combat" Mustafa replied to them.

"You'll get your chance my friend, believe me you will" Lelouch said to him as their flight continued to Japan.

**(Black Knight base)**

"Inoue you will take the 1st battalion and position yourselves in the eastern pass, Sugiyama you will take the 2nd and remain hidden in the forest to the north, Yoshida will do the same with the 3rd battalion to the west, Minami will take the 4th and guard the south, Tamaki you will take the 4th battalion and guard the Summit of the mountain along with Kallen and the infantry" Zero said to those assembled.

"What will I be doing Zero?" Ohgi asked him.

"You will be at my side and act as my chief of staff from the JLF command room, I suspect that is where we will find ourselves once the attack begins" Zero replied to Ohgi.

"Shouldn't we warn the JLF of the impending attack?" Kallen asked him.

"That is the purpose of us going there" Zero said to her.

"Hey Zero, in this coming battle we will fight Britannia, so why don't we join forces with the JLF, instead of just positioning ourselves close to them" Ohgi said to him.

"The JLF have for the past eight years done nothing except feed the anti-Japanese sentiment of the empire through terrorism which didn't even hit major targets, we in eight weeks have defeated a fielded army in Shinjuku, killed a prince, stolen 300 knightmares, made a fool out of the Empire, and despite all that this is the offer they have presented to me" Zero said to him and motioned for C.C to read a letter from them.

"The rank of colonel and command of a knightmare battalion, along with the showing of your face to them" C.C replied.

"I am only going to say this once…Ohgi you are my right hand, and through that you have more power and more influence than either Todoh or Katase, you are not their inferior, you are their superior, neither you nor any of us will take orders from them, but they may take orders from us, they will join us and not the other way around and the reason for this is that a prince of the Empire himself admitted that the Black Knights are the biggest threat to the Empire, not the JLF!" Zero said and a round of applause and cheers came from those assembled.

**(Tokyo, Government planning room)**

"And in conclusion we will have the third regiment stationed on the mountains north side." Pollex said as he finished his briefing.

"What of the Murmilos?" Euphie asked her brother.

"They will be kept in reserve to guard the edges of the area and guard the city, unless their commander objects to this?" Castor said and gestured to Lelouch who was pretending to be asleep in his chair.

"That settles it meeting adjourned then" Guinevere said and with Castor and Pollex left the room.

xxxxxxxx.

A few moments latter Lelouch opened his eyes after they left.

"Why didn't you object to where they placed our troops? The first battle against the terrorists and we are left out of it!" Mustafa asked Lelouch as he was angry at this.

"Would you prefer they also die in the landslide?" Lelouch asked him unfazed by Mustafa's anger.

"Landslide? What landslide?" Suzaku asked him.

"The one which Zero will engineer at Narita, at least that's what I would do if I were him….and if I were Guinevere I would have spread our units in a longer circle around the mountain and advance into small groups in very loose skirmish formation, I would then fight a battle of attrition against the defenders, which I would win without the danger of having my army buried alive" Lelouch replied.

"You did voice the danger of that happening earlier today to them, but they wouldn't listen" Nunnally said to those present.

"That's why I was pretending to be asleep, our brilliant siblings believe the Japanese too stupid to engineer such a plan, and because of their idiocy many good soldiers will die tomorrow" Lelouch replied as he got up from his chair.

"Why didn't you try to stop this madness?" Suzaku asked him.

"I tried, but Guinevere is higher in personal rank, royal rank and court rank than me…Don't look so surprise or angry Suzaku, in this country it doesn't matter how right or wrong you are, only what title you have" Lelouch said as he left for his quarters.

xxxxxxx.

Once there he summoned Shirley to his room.

"You wanted to see me Lulu?" Shirley said to him as she arrived.

"Are you certain you wish to come to battle with us, regardless of what you may see, do or….loose…." Lelouch said as he poured himself something to drink.

"….Yes…..Shirley said determination in her voice and also a tone which said she understood all of its implications.

"Then have a drink with me before going to sleep, for tomorrow we do not know if we will ever see the star again" Lelouch said and he handed her a cup filled with nectar

**(Narita, JLF base)**

Zero and Ohgi along with a few bodyguards were brought into the JLF compounds entrance there they were greeted by Kaguya.

"Zero-sama, it is wonderful to be able to meet you so soon" Kaguya said as she extended her arm to act as Zero's escort, which Zero accepted.

xxxxxxx.

A few minutes later he was sitting on a pillow mattress with Kaguya and Ohgi on his flanks, Katase sat in front of him with Todoh and the four holy swords behind him.

"Greeting to you Colonel Todoh it is an honor to be in the presence of a soldier of your caliber" Zero said to him, the fact that he ignored Katase was well observed by everyone.

"So tell me Zero what is the purpose of requesting this meeting?" Katase said to him a bit offended by his action.

"An alliance against the Empire of course, surely you can see that we have a common foe" Zero replied.

"Our offer still stands, with our condition "Katase replied.

"And let's say I accept to be your subordinate, what would you have me do then? Burn down a church? Blow up a hospital? Like you had Katase do to that school" Zero replied the sarcasm in his voice clear.

"Why you!" Chiba said but she quickly restrained herself.

"Kusakabe's actions were not the best , but he was acting on his own we had nothing to do with it" Katase replied.

"But you don't seem to mind his actions or their effect, or haven't you noticed that anti-Japanese sentiment is all time high because of his actions." Zero replied to him.

"Colonel Kusakabe loved his country and he fought against it's invaders, it is a regrettable action, but it would have never have happened if the Brittannian's hadn't invaded this land, and you seem mighty quick to demonize a freedom fighter" Kusakabe replied.

"So let me get this straight taking innocent teenagers and children and threatening to kill them is consider fighting for freedom, it seems that I have a different dictionary than you, one that does not rewrite itself constantly" Zero replied which made Katase jump from his seating position, the implications made him reach for his sword and draw it close and hover it menacingly an inch above Zero's head.

Zero did not flinch, this made Ohgi, Katase, Todoh and even Chiba surprised, the man seemed to not fear death.

"Now now, let's just all calm down, we are here to fight a common enemy not each other" Kaguya said and that released the tension, and Katase retracted his blade.

"I apologize for my outburst" Kusakabe said to Zero.

"There is nothing to apologize for, we all have moments when we lose control" Zero said to him.

"Our offer to you is not unreasonable or petty, you would still command your forces, and you're rank would make you Todoh's equal so why are you refusing it?" Katase asked.

"Let me ask you a question general what is your objective?" Zero asked him.

"The liberation of Japan of course!" Katase said to him.

"And then what? Let's say you manage to do just that, do you have a plan that will allow you to do that with minimal casualties, and one to face the hoards of China and Legions of Europe after that, or better yet to strike at Brittannia to ensure its ultimate downfall?" Zero said to him.

"It's sounds like you have more installed than just simply liberating Japan" Kusakabe replied to him.

"That is just one step of my plan" Zero replied.

"What plan?" Kusakabe asked.

"Do destroy every corrupt regime on this planet" Zero replied which surprised everyone in the room.

"It seems I've overestimated you, you are delusional and I have no need of a useless subordinate" Kusakabe replied with a mocking chuckle, but this did not get an answer or even a flinch from Zero much to the older man's changing.

"As you wish, but I feel that since we have a common foe I must warn you that the Rose Prince is planning an attack on your base" Zero said to him.

"Tell me something I don't know?" Katase said to him.

"The attack is scheduled for today" Zero replied non calmly as he looked at his watch on his wrist

"T-today!" Kusakabe said and this made everyone else in the room jump.

Just then one of the generals staff officers came in the room to inform them that the enemy has suddenly appeared and has surrounded the mountain.

**(Murmilos position)**

"Look at this! What could possibly the decisive battle against the terrorist is being waged in front of us and we are constricted to staying here and evacuating the civilians when we should be the vanguard!" Jeremiah said as he was frustrated with the current situation.

"You're telling me! I came all the way from Asia Minor so I could fuck some Black Knight Iron ass, I am very proud of my 'private equipment', but even I can't fuck them from this distance" Mustafa said out loud.

"Don't worry this is just the beginning of the battle, it doesn't matter who is winning the battle when it starts or who is winning it when it is at its peak, only who wins when the battle is over, and I fully intend for us to be them" Lelouch said and this calmed his men down.

"Shirley when the battle begins you stay close to me and Suzaku, Mustafa or Jeremiah, whatever you do don't go hunting alone, OK?" Lelouch said to her through the private com.

Shirley only managed to give an 'uhm', she was very nervous and this was understandable, experiencing battle for the first time was always a scary experience.

**(JLF command base)**

"We have detected at least seven enemy regiments surrounding the mountain, with report from our outpost of more troops within the vicinity, the enemy is broadcasting a surrender message, should we reply?" One communications officer said to him.

"Of course not, have all troops to go out to meet the enemy, break the encirclement, Go! Knowing that the pride of Japan goes with you!" Kusakabe ordered his men.

"Keh" Zero let out a discrete wail that meant he disagreed with the tactic.

"Something wrong?" Ohgi asked him.

"Nothing, except for the fact that his order was the equivalent of telling men to do jumping jacks while enemy snipers are on the loose, this is not an equal battle, he should have kept them in the defensive inside the mouth holes of the facility, still wished we joined them?" Zero said to Ohgi and he bowed his head in dismay.

Unknown to him Todoh also overheard this and silently agreed.

**(Murmilos position)**

"Looks like things are going well for our side" Euphie said as he watched the battle's flow on the radar map.

"Wait until things get serious, how's our situation with the civilian evacuation?" Lelouch asked Nunnally who was managing it.

"The evacuation has been completed and we are transporting them outside the Narita region" Nunnally replied.

"Good, Euphie, Nunnally, take this mobile center and escort the civilians to our location at the edge of the region, Jeremiah get the Murmilos to reposition themselves a few hundred meter behind the city, I have a feeling the mountain is going to come tumbling down soon and we can use the buildings as shields against the mudslide" Lelouch ordered his men.

**(JLF Base)**

Katase was by now sweating bullets, they had fortified the mountain, but the sheer overwhelming firepower of Brittannian army was plowing through them.

"Zero, you have 300 enemy frames, why didn't you bring them to assist in this fight?" Kusakabe asked him.

"I did bring them" Zero replied non-chalantly.

"Then why don't you deploy them?" Kusakabe asked now angry.

"Because the timing isn't right, order your men to withdraw towards the main entrance, if you do so then the timing will be right" Zero replied unfazed which made Kusakabe uneasy.

"O-order the men to withdraw to the main entrance" he hesitantly said to them, because what he did was basically handing over command to Zero.

"Ohgi inform Kallen to be ready to initiate phase one on my command, also bring my knightmare to the secondary gate, I will be joining the fray soon "Zero said to Ohgi and he relayed the message.

"Do you have a plan to break the encirclement?" Kaguya asked him as she was still clinging to his arm.

"I do not think in such small terms, total victory or nothing is my game" Zero replied, the stab to Kusakabe was evident as Zero and Ohgi made their way to the position were Todoh and the Shiseiken had their frames.

**(Guinevere's position)**

"We have detected based on the enemies retreat pattern were their main entrance lies, also we report that Prince Lelouch has withdrawn his forces several hundred yards behind the city" Pollex informed Guinevere.

"This is excellent, along with having the credit of destroying the theorist we can accuse him of cowardice in the face of the enemy!" Castor said to those present.

**(Zero and Todoh's position)**

"Tamaki reports that the JLF have fully withdrawn to the main gate, the Brittannian army has moved from their siege formation and have concentrated on the southern face of the mountain" Ohgi said to Zero and the two of them boarded their frames.

"Excellent, tell her to begin Phase One!" Zero ordered.

**(Guinevere's position)**

"A toast! T our great vic- *Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble**

**-**what's going on here!" Guinevere said as the ground started to shake from the avalanche Kallen created.

**xxxxxxxxx.**

*Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble**

"Rumble in the jungle I suppose "Loyd said as the avalanche was on its way in full force down the mountain.

*Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble**

*Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble***Rumble**

xxxxxxxx.

"Creating an artificial avalanche! How bold but what of the people within the town?" Todoh said To Zero as they were all in their frames.

"By now Prince Lelouch has most likely evacuated the civilians, you needn't worry about that" Zero replied to him, as Kaguya gave him a peck on the helmet for good luck.

"Did you know that he would do so, or were you counting on it?" Todoh asked him and waited for an answer.

"He's too capable for me to have known his plans, and too flexible to predict" Zero replied.

"Then how did you know this?" Todoh asked.

"I am Zero, that is why" Zero replied as he and Ohgi along with a few guard Black Knights

**(Guinevere's position)**

"What's the status of our forces?" Guinevere asked after the avalanche passed.

"We have only 15% percent operational, also we are receiving reports that almost 330 knightmare frames have appeared from the summit, and all four cardinal points" one of the com. Officers said to her.

"What of Lelouch's forces?" Guinevere asked.

"His forces have remained unaffected by the landslide, and are advancing to our aide" the officer replied "We have received an transmission form the Prince's forces"

"Well what is it?" Castor asked.

"It says" I have the sombrero with me" the officer replied, to which Castor and Pollex both had an angry outburst, the night before they had said to Lelouch that there was no way the eleven 'monkeys' could posses the necessary technology to do what Lelouch had suggested, and if they did they would both do a Mexican sombrero dance naked for two days.

**(Murmilos position)**

"The enemy are advancing from four different directions, we now have an opportunity to defeat them in detail, tell Guinevere to withdraw at full speed, I will take one third of the army and flank the enemy, the rest of you make a defensive line on these coordinates, we must hold the line long enough for Guinevere to escape and for Mustafa to finish his maneuver" Lelouch replied and they began to advance

To do their objectives.

And so it began, the first military clash between Lelouch and Zero, between light and darkness, between good and evil, but who was good or who was evil was still up for debate, for in their world the person who emerges victorious is good and the looser is evil.

**Read and review , let me know if I should continue.**


	8. Part VIII: the hill garden part II

**Part VIII: the hill garden part II**

The Prince looked at the sight before him, the enemy had assembled on a hilltop and were waiting for him to attack, his reinforcements from the Empire and the Southern tribes had arrived by now making this an even fight, what would decided it's outcome would be its leaders.

**xxxxx.**

"ALalalalalalalalalal!" Mustafa shouted his people's battle cry as he piloted his Dimachaerii frame, he ran fast forward, did a feet first slide between the legs of a knightmare and slashed them with his twin swords as he passed under, a second frame tried to cut him from his right side, but he blocked it with his right sword, and then cut off the second frames leg with his left sword, and as the frame went down Mustafa got up and slashed the frames chest with both blades at the same time, cutting it in two, he then turned and shouted to the JLF and the Black Knights:

"I am Mustafa Hussein Sadam Saudi, third brother of eight sons and five daughters, First Muharib of Arabia and I am dead, come so I can claim victory and with it get my life back Alalalalalalalalal!"As he continued his attack on the enemy.

xxxxxxxx.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Jeremiah said as he impaled an enemy frame in front of him with the spear from his Hoplomachus frame, he then took a step forward and slammed his Roman style shield into a second enemy frame smashing it, he then twisted his body to the right and did a round windmill slash with his spear into a third frame, the third frame managed to Block the blow with its arm, but the strike was so powerful it shattered the frame and propelled it into a fourth frame, he then jumped up and did a downward slash on a fifth frame , this frame casually stepped out of its way and slashed at Jeremiah's exposed right side, forcing the veteran warrior to roll to the left to avoid getting cut.

Both Fighters now stood facing each other.

"You seem to have some measure of skill, tell me terrorist what is thy name, so I may know the one true warrior in this rabble" Jeremiah said to him.

"Kyoshiro Todoh, I hoped you washed your neck" Todoh replied as he lunged forward and the clash between knight and Samurai began.

The great clash began as the Imperial army charged up the slopes to the rebel army, a battle which would shake the Earth started.

xxxxxxxxx.

Nina was in a knightmare frame with what was left of the Purist and Guinevere and Castor's force after the mud slide in a defensive position around trying to hold off the enemy.

"Pour it into them, we must hold the lines until relief arrives" Viletta said as she commanded what was left of their forces into battle.

*BANG***BANG***BANG***BANG***BANG***BANG***BANG***BANG**

They tried desperately to hold off the enemy assault.

Just then an enemy frame managed to disable Nina's frame and was about to deliver the killing blow when the killing shot was suppose to arrive *BANG* Suzaku and his group arrived and shot the enemy frame.

Suzaku then landed in front of Nina and Drew his twin blades for close quarter combat, a knightmare to his left tried to shoot him, Suzaku Squatted down, trusted forward and gave a upward from downwards slash across the enemy frame chess slicing it in two, he then accelerated to a second and third frame slashing them across the midsection as he passed them.

"Take their royal highnesses and withdraw from here, we the Murmilos will cover your retreat" Suzaku said as he charged the enemy once more.

xxxxxxxx.

In another position Kallen along with Tamaki had begun their descend from the mountain top and with the other three task forces have managed to surround the enemy on three sides and were pressing hem hard, Zero and Ohgi had rendezvous with them.

The Prince waited for the moment was right gave the order for a trumpet to be sound and the Imperial army retreated.

"The enemy is being pushed on all sides, looks like all that's left to do is to pound them until they forget their names!" Tamaki said as he fired upon the enemy.

"Still it is strange, the Rose Prince is nowhere near, this is not the behavior that befits a commander, is Wellington nothing but a coward?" Zero said to them.

Just then from behind a barrage of fire appeared destroying a few of their numbers.

"Wellington is not cowardly, he is cautious and you will now learn the difference Zero!" Lelouch said as his forces charged forward

Lelouch and his flanking force had achieved their maneuver and with the balance had now shifted into the favor of the Murmilos.

"You're going to die you stinking brat!"Tamaki said as he fired at Lelouch, but Lelouch threw his net at Tamaki.

"What the hell!" Tamaki said as he got himself tangled in it and he fell face first forward, Lelouch charged , he grabbed the net pulling it in a way which made rolled Tamaki in to the air and backwards, as he landed on his but Lelouch impaled Tamaki with his trident forcing him to eject, Lelouch then use the trident and Tamaki's disabled frame as a pole and he pole jumped forward and kicked a second frame making it tumble down the mountain.

A third Frame tried to hit his face with his tonfas but Lelouch ducked, he then whipped his net around the third frames foot, pulled it making the third frame trip backwards smashing the cockpit.

Just then Kallen charged one of Lelouch's Murmilos grabbed its head with the radiation wave arm and destroyed it, she then set her sights on Lelouch's position, there she no longer saw her acquaintance, she no longer saw the man who purged the country of the corrupt, she only saw an enemy which needed to be destroyed.

War has a way of taking everything that makes us human and turn us into animals.

"What the! I heard of Princess having to slay dragons but this is ridiculous!" Lelouch said as he prepared himself for the onslaught.

The rebel army followed down the slope with the intent of destroying the Imperial army.

Kallen saw the Retiarius and then charged it with spread so great that Lelouch barely managed to throw himself to the right to avoid the collision, as he dodged, he threw his net at Kallen, she instinctively lashed at it with her radiation arm and tried to activate it, but the net got entangled on her arm and her hand would not open rendering the radiation arm useless.

"What the!" Kallen said over her speaker astounded that something so simple could disable her.

"Don't look so surprised dragon; I am a prince after all!" Lelouch said with a chuckle, when in reality he was sweating bullets from just how terrifying the Guren was.

xxxxxxxxx.

Shirley was in a knightmare with a grenade cannon with Lelouch's group and she saw an enemy frame about to fire at her, she automatically pointed her grenade cannon at it, fire it *BANG* the enemy frame was destroyed.

After it was destroyed did the full implication of what she just did hit her.

"_I killed someone!...I JUST KILLED SOMEONE!"_ her mind said to her, just then she saw another target.

*BANG* she fried again, ***BANG* and again***BANG* and again***BANG* and again***BANG* and again.

Each shot she killed another man, each shot she lost a part of her innocence, with each shot she changed into the person who could stand by Lelouch… a person who had blood on their hands.

xxxxxxxx.

Jeremiah and Todoh now clashed blades once more.

Jeremiah stabbed forward with his spear, Todoh deflected it with his sword, Jeremiah let the block move the spear, and in a circular motion she did a sideway slash at Todoh's left side, only for him to block it with his sword.

Jeremiah then rolled his body to the right side, squatted down and struck at Todoh's left leg, Todoh lifted his leg to avoid the blow, Jeremiah used the inertia of the blow to roll his body while he was still squatting on his knees, and did a upward slash which cut Todoh's chest.

Todoh stepped backward and side's ways with Jeremiah following him, Jeremiah feinted a shield bash and struck with his spear once again, Todoh deflected it with his sword, and then Slashed at Jeremiah, Jeremiah blocking the slash with his shield.

Jeremiah then stepped forward and tried to impale Todoh in the chess, Todoh rolled down to the left and cut off Jeremiah left leg from his knee down.

Todoh then got up and did a downward slash at Jeremiah, he deflected it to the right by crossing his spear with his shield and *CLASH* he then hid Todoh's head with the side of his spear leaving it bent.

Todoh rolled his bode with the inertia of the blow and tried to Cut off Jeremiah's head, Jeremiah leaned backwards to avoid the blow and rolled putting distance between the two.

Todoh attacked, Jeremiah angled his shield and diverted the blow and once more hit Todoh's frame with the broad side of his lance propelling it forward and on its back.

Seeing his chance he got up on the leg he had left and ran forward, jumped and tried to impale Todoh, who was still lying down.

Todoh rolled to the side, managing to avoid a fatal flow, but his left arm was cut off in the process, he then rolled back to the left, rolling his body on Jeremiah's spear slicing it,, he then jumped forward and made a non lethal, but still great slash across Jeremiah's torso.

Jeremiah backed down and drew a sword from his belt, which was his secondary weapon, he could not properly stand on one foot, so he got down in a kneeling position, and with his shield in front of him and sword in striking position waited for Todoh to come to him.

Todoh was also holding his ground, for with one arm missing his frame was now more maneuverable than Jeremiah's but it lacked slashing power, so he also held his ground and waited for Jeremiah to attack.

Both fighters were now exhausted and breathing heavily, currently both had won and both had lost, to great forces clashed and left nothing but destruction, no resolution but destruction, and in that chaotic war field, the sounds of battle became death and the visuals disappeared, as both warrior could only see each other and only each other.

The battle now being at it's decisive point the Prince ordered for a second trumpet to be sounded

xxxxxxxx.

"Whoa! That's some machine the enemy have, maybe we should switch sides" Lloyd said as he watched the video feed from the battle.

"Lloyd!" Cecile said to him in a menacing tone.

"Just kidding, anyway it seems like our old classmate Laksharta is behind this little monstrosity, we best tell Suzaku to get to the Prince, cause from the data we gathered so far he's not going to last long" Lloyd said and did just that.

xxxxxxxx.

Lelouch was now face to face with the Guren and he was keeping it at bay with his trident.

Kallen took out her knife and slashed as the trident to deflect it, she then lunged forward to hit Lelouch with her right fist, but he just jumped backwards and to the side avoiding it.

This was the fourth or fifth attempt Kallen had at getting close, and she failed, the Retiarius fighting style was one based on speed and long-range, the Guren was the same type, but with its radiation arm entangled with Lelouch's net, she was at a disadvantage.

As Lelouch dogged the last blow, he went on the offensive and stroke forward with his trident into Kallen's side, Kallen deflected it with her right arm, stepped forward, turned her body and tried to slash Lelouch with a chopper attack, Lelouch squatted down to avoid the blow, he then pushed Kallen with the broad side of his trident, Kallen however caught it with her hands and gave Lelouch a kick in the chess which propelled him back wards at least 15 feet and he landed on his butt, he quickly got up, but Kallen Lunged forward knocking the trident out of his hand, she then tried to impale his chest with her dagger but Lelouch pulled out his combat dagger blocking it as Kallen Grabbed his arm, rolled her body along with his and threw him into the mountain side.

Lelouch got up, but he had no delusions that he was greatly outmatched.

"_She's as strong as Suzaku is!"_ Lelouch thought to himself as Kallen hit him sideways which propelled him to the ground.

As he did so Kallen used her dagger to cut off Lelouch's net, and without his trident

"Surrender now" Kallen said as Lelouch now out of breath staggered to get back on his feet.

"I *PANT* will *PANT* stand my ground" Lelouch said as he positioned himself with his back to the rock wall.

"Stand your ground! You can barely stand on your feet!" Kallen said to him surprised at his courage.

"Then come and claim my head Lady Devil, if you think you can!" Lelouch said and pointed the dagger at her menacingly, his knightmare by now was visibly wobbling and his speaker was on line and the sound of his heavy breathing was heard.

"I truly regret that there is no other way" Kallen said and she was sincere, since she knew Lelouch was a decent man.

She lunged forward her radiation arm extended to grab, Lelouch ducked and this made the arm embed itself in the rock.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Lelouch cried as he got up and with his dagger sliced the Guren's radiation arm off, making Kallen fall back from the sudden change in her frames mass.

The hidden cavalry troops of Suz-al-aku emerged at the sound of the second trumpet catching the rebel army in the Prince's trap.

Kallen was astounded by this turnabout and then as she looked at him did she realize that he was no longer wobbling and we wasn't breathing hard either, Lelouch then quickly ran forward and did a downward slash with his knife at Kallen's torso, this made her jump back, Lelouch who was known on his knees punched his hand into the ground an pullet out his now shredded net, the other side of it was entangled in Kallen's left land spinner, making Kallen tumble backwards, and *Slash* she fell impaling herself right into Lelouch's discarded trident, disabling her frame.

The trap had now been sprung and the rebel army was routing

"H-how!" Kallen said now frightened as she was now literally helpless to the Black Retiarius frame before her.

"I will tell you how, "Lelouch said as he approached.

"Each move we made with our frames created two new scenarios, each scenario a thousand outcomes, and I made those outcomes to be in my favor like I do when I play chess" Lelouch replied to her.

"And you're a champion chess player!"Kallen said her speech was clearly shaking from the realization that every move that happened until now, from her attack, to him losing his trident and the destruction of his net was not random but one part in his plan; she was his pawn all along.

'

"_after my mother was killed years ago my sister forced me to study martial arts to protect myself, I knew from years of training that I am not fast enough or strong enough to defeat someone of your caliber, but I could be smart enough_ "he thought to himself and was now glad that he went through that hell.

"You lost also because you only used your knightmare as your weapon, I used my knightmare, the terrain, your fighting style, your eyes and ears, even your own mind as my weapon, that is why Lady Devil the Prince Always slays the dragon!" Lelouch said as he moved to stab her when.

Bip* Bip* Lelouch's projectile alarm went off and he rolled and dodged, but he did not dodge fat enough and his frame was hit forcing the cockpit to eject to unknown locations

Zero and Ohgi came up to Kallen to save her.

"Kallen are you alright?" Zero said to her.

"Y-yes but I am afraid that the Guren is badly damaged" Kallen said to Zero.

Zero looked at his tactical display and then gave the following order.

"All unit begin emergency phase three, we cannot hope to win anymore!" Zero said and they all activated their chaff smoke screens the Black Knight and the JLF withdrew.

xxxxxxxxxx.

Suzaku noticed that the enemy was withdrawing and he wanted to go and chase after the, but he also heard the alarm that Lelouch had to eject from his frame and he dashed out to help his friend.

xxxxxxxxxxx.

**Tokyo.**

"What do you mean you won't publish the photos, I got the same answer from every other newspaper!" John said to the editor in chief of the Tokyo Gazette.

"Listen kid, last time anyone tried to smirk the Rose Prince was a year back in Underland, as soon as the first paper hit the news stools a angry mob of numbers and citizens attacked the publishing house almost killing everyone of them, only the Prince's intervention stopped it, I may be a tabloid man, but I am not crazy, you want to mess with the Rose Prince your own your own" the editor replied.

"Damn it! The guy is indestructible!" John said with great anger in his voice as he left the news office.

As he left the office the Editor started dialing a number on his phone.

"This is Underland, how can we help you" the receptionist on the other side said to him.

xxxxxxxxx.

Lelouch's capsule landed in an unknown location, Lelouch quickly got out of it with the intent to hide in one of bushes in case the JLF or Black Knight found him first.

He was a few feet away when suddenly a great pain came over him.

"No! Not now! Please God any time but not nooooow!"Lelouch screamed to the heavens but it was too late the seizure kicked in and Lelouch started kicking, screaming and foaming at the mouth there in open ground only a few feet away from the bushes, a few feet away from salvation, from a future, from life itself, so close, yet just far enough to be out of reach.

xxxxxxxxx.

**several hours later.**

In another position far away from the Brittannian forces the JLF and the Black Knights were celebrating their recent victory.

"Forgive me for my harsh words Zero, an alliance between us truly is the way to go" Katase said to him as he placed a hand on Zero's shoulder, only for Zero to shrug it off.

"You were right about one thing general, a man does not require a useless subordinate." Zero said to him in a tone that was harsh and cold, this caught Katase off guard, but he knew what Zero meant.

"Z-Zero surely you are not still angry….." Katase tried to say to him, but was cut off by Zero who walked away and ordered Ohgi to prepare the men for dispersion to avoid detection.

Katase called out to him, but Zero ignored him, he calmly and steadily continued to walk forward, as if Katase wasn't even there.

After two more tries Katase stopped calling him and he bowed his head in anger and frustration of himself as the words he said to Zero only a few hours ago returned to him.

_"It seems I've overestimated you, you are delusional and I have no need of a useless subordinate"_

From this battle Kusakabe realized that Zero was far more powerful than him, and now he was told that he was of no use to him, the man who could and probably free Japan declared him of no use and he did it without saying a single word.

He was declared: rejected, without purpose and useless and the part that hurt the most was it was not Zero who called him those things, but he himself realized them….

Just then Ohgi came up to Zero and showed him a recording on the internet of something that happened only an hour ago or so.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

**a few hours ago**

Lelouch woke up to find himself tied down to a tree that had been pushed down.

"So you're finally awake Brittannian, sorry about the rope, but after seeing you toss and turn like crazy we had to do something to keep you down" A voice was heard and Lelouch turned his head to see three Japanese men dressed in JLF uniform and they had the tattoo of one particular terrorist faction on their arms.

"Blood of the Samurai..." Lelouch said to his, his voice was not filled with fear or worry.

"Oh so The Rose Prince recognizes us, we are honored that the 'savior' of the numbers recognizes us!" The leader of the group walked forward to him and he took out a video camera and fixed it on Lelouch.

"What is the other word your people have for savior? Meriak, Mepiah?" the man asked as he and his friends stepped forward to where Lelouch was tied down.

"Messiah "Lelouch replied his tone calm.

"Yes that's it Messiah, like Jesus Christ people call you a messiah, but there is one problem that makes you not a wordy candidate to be like him" the man said as he got out a few tent spikes from his pocket.

"Jesus was crucified, you can't be like him if you don't walk a mile in his shoes no?" the man said with a sadistic glee in his eyes.

Lelouch's eyes then became wide with realization of what he was about to go through, but his broken mask quickly glued itself back together to not allow these men the pleasure of seeing him frightened.

"Any last words your highness?" the man said as he and his friends started positioning the tent spikes.

Lelouch looked at them for a moment, his expression neutral, a thousand things went thru his mind he had many things to say, but he settled for one single word.

"…Ganbarre…..( do a good job)

"HA ha Ganbarre he said I like this guy, well let's do a good job!" the man said as he placed the first spike on Lelouch arm.

***THANG* **

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Lelouch screamed as the first spike pierced his left arm,

***THANG* **

The second spike was placed in his right arm and once more Lelouch let out a scream of pain, but it was weaker then the first from the pain he endured from than one.

***THANG* **

Aeeeeeeee!" he screamed as the third spike was planted in his left foot.

***THANG* **

The fourth and final spike was placed in his right foot, by now Lelouch only let out a muffled 'aaaaaaah' the pain drained his vitality.

The Blood of the Samurai men all smiled at their work

The Prince was now triumphant as he stood among his cheering troops.

He raised his fist high and shouted.

"You look hot from the battle, here's some water to cool you down" the leader said as he unzipped his trouser and started pissing on Lelouch's face.

"Glory to the Empire!"

xxxxxxxxxxxx.

Nina was at the main Brittannian base camp and she saw the person she was searching for, the white armor that saved her a few hours ago arrived in camp.

As the cockpit opened she rushed to see the man, the God who saved her, only for her to stop in her tracks when she saw who got out of the Lancelot.

It was Suzaku, the person who was always with Lelouch who got out of it.

"E-eleven! Their evil, their animals!" Nina shouted to herself as her whole world came crashing down upon her.

She looked left and right to see that the Murmilos as they got out of their battle gear were a mix group, some were white, some were black, some a mixture of the two, it only added to the great shock which she was now going through.

xxxxxxxx.

"Any luck in finding him?" Nunnally said to Suzaku who dismounted his frame.

"No he wasn't near his cockpit, I just came back here to change my energy filler and I'm going out again" Suzaku said as he impatiently waited for the energy filler to be changed.

xxxxxxxxx.

Lelouch was now wondering if he hadn't died in battle and was now in hell, because if he wasn't he was very sure that he was close enough to it.

As he laid down there crucified and pissed on with the three Blood of the Samurai laughing at him.

Just then *BANG* the camera was smashed behind the three men and their turned around to see C.C walking behind them, they reached for their weapons, but C.C was quicker and she shot them with her hand gun.

She then walked out to Lelouch.

"Yes, yes quit your nagging I am helping him now" C.C said as he activated a radio and alerted Lelouch's men to his position.

It was unknown the C.C that the camera was a webcam.

xxxxxxxxxxx.

Back at camp Shirley was sitting with the other members of the Murmilos.

They were drinking and cheering their victory, how they conquered the JLF main base.

Just then one of the Murmilos raised his glass and looked towards her.

The Prince watched his legionnaires wade through the broken fields with blades drawn, making sure no one was trying to act clever. With their dark gray capes whipping in the breeze, the soldiers looked like so many wraiths, going about their grisly business.

"To Lieutenant Shirley, who singlehandedly destroyed 21 enemy frames, to your Black Jack Shirley, cheer!"

_A cavalry officer pulled up and hailed in salute. "My lord, we have taken the rebel leader, per your instructions."_

"_I will be along shortly." _

_The prince smiled. He was going to collect his reward._

"To Shirley!" the other knightmare pilots said and drank to her health.

Shirley forced a smile, as she also raised her glass, was not this what she wanted, to prove that she can stand by Lelouch's side, that his men can feel safe around her, that she is worth her salt, she did that, she achieved that, so why was she so turned and twisted inside from pain? And they had not received the news of Lelouch's stat yet.

xxxxxxxx.

Lelouch woke up in the infirmary with Euphie and Nunnally besides him, he looked at the date and time and the clock and realized that it was near midnight, and it still was the day of the Narita battle.

The past several hours passed in a blur for Karen: When the battle was lost she decided to make her last stand and take as many of her foes as she could with her. Ringed by shielded legionnaires, she challenged them forth, but instead was overcome when nets were cast over her. Fearing a fate worse than death, she tried to take her own life but lost both her axe and dagger in the ensuing scrum, where a blow to the side of her head stunned her

He looked around and saw that he was hooked up to a number of devices for patients in critical condition as Euphie noticing he was awake went over to wiped his forehead and give him water.

The soldiers clasped her in chains and brought her by mule cart to the provincial capital. But instead of locking her in a damp cage, they brought her to the governor's palace, where she was placed in the care of a host of female servants. The women—all extraordinarily beautiful and from all the nations under the Empire—were filled with mirth as they ushered her into their quarters. Without warning they began to undress her, and when she tried to awkwardly resist a woman assured her that she was merely going to bathe. Sticky with sweat and the smell of wet hay from the cart ride, Karen complied—if she was going to die, at least she would die feeling clean. 

Lelouch then gestured for Euphie to come closer so he may say something to her.

"Place guards at the entrances of the ghettos to protect the Japanese from rioter because of what happened to you" Euphie repeated what Lelouch told her to do.

Lelouch gave a nod pleased that he had enough strength to relay the message.

Four women attended her inside a gorgeous bath hall with frescoed floors and marble columns. When she was clean from head to toe they rubbed and massaged her body with oil and scented water; in spite of the shackles which stayed on, Karen began to relax. Toweled dry and wrapped in a comfortable robe, she was led into the kitchen, where she was allowed to use her own hands to eat. The thought of poison passed but briefly through her mind—they had plenty opportunity to kill her, and if she was to die, she might as well die fed and content—before she proceeded to stuff herself on chicken, lamb, olives, grapes, and figs, chasing it all down with a sweet nectarine wine. 

Lelouch the closed his eye, satisfied that he managed to get his message across.

_One of the girls smiled and whispered when she bent down to refill her goblet. "Aphrodite smiles upon you this evening, my lady."_

"_What makes you say that?"_

"_It is known that his highness never lies with a woman during campaign, but he makes exception for you."_

Lelouch let slumber engulf him and he slipped away into the land of dreams away from the war, away from the pain, away from the horror.

"_Hmm," The prince studied the red-haired girl sitting on his bed with a look of approval, "I thought you were handsome in hides and mail. Who knew you could wear silver straps and satin so well?"_

_Karen bit her lower lip, her hands fastened tight above her head by a strong silk knot. Even if she had her hands, the outfit she was changed into was so scandalous she would have been too busy trying to cover herself to lunge at her captor. "Let me go."_

As he left this world for the dreaming the many images passed through his head, that of the challenges he faced.

"_If I do, do you promise to be good?"_

"_Of course."_

"_I would believe you, but for the fact that every time we meet you swear to destroy me, and every time you fail. What's it been now, five times? My dear, you have a credibility crisis."_

_Karen seethed at him as he sat down a the foot of the large bed, just out of reach of her feet. After several ineffectual attempts at kicking him he snatched her by the ankle and held it mid-air. _

"_Behave or I will tie you down by all fours."_

_His fingers smoothed along her calf, caressing her feet as he set it down. Karen shivered; for a moment she wondered what it would be like for him to touch her in other places. Shamed by her repeated defeats and her body's reaction to his attentions, she lowered her head. "If you won't let me go, kill me."_

"_And undo all my efforts for the last eight months? Absurd." The prince saw the quizzical look on her face and continued, "You don't seem to realize: This whole time, while you've been wanting my head… I've wanted you."_

_Karen was shocked, his words causing her to redden to her ears before anger rose up to mask embarrassment. "I'll die before I become one of your slaves."_

Of the achievements he made.

"_If you're referring to the women outside, they're not my slaves. I purchased their freedom and those who stayed stay of their free will. In any event, I would never dream of taming you when it is precisely your fire and passion which I admire."_

Of the rebel beast which he in deifying fate itself somehow managed to defeat.

"_My passion for you is borne out of hatred."_

"_Love and hate are but two sides of a coin, and I intend to flip ours. Consider this the start of our 'official' courtship."_

"_I can't believe… the nerve!"_

"_If it makes it easier, you don't have a choice." She held her breath when he leaned in close to her face, her eyes drifting close when she felt his lips brush her cheek and his breath in her ear. "I've mastered you on the battlefield, I will master you off it."_

And of the rewards which he obtained through his deeds.

_She felt he must be mad; how someone could treat war like wooing and declare his love while holding one prisoner was beyond her. She returned his gaze with as much defiance as she could muster; her rebellion defeated, she was determined not to give him the satisfaction in this last struggle. "… You can have my body, but you'll never possess my heart."_

"_We'll see about that."_

A moment of peace and security in a decade of death and a century of loneliness.

**Author note:**

**Read and review, let me know if I should continue.**


	9. Part IX: The Broken Rose is still……

**Part IX: The Broken Rose is still…**

**(Tokyo Park, center stage)**

Lelouch looked before him, almost 100.000 Japanese and Brittannian's had gathered for this concert and now as the final part in the show he would sing one song.

The crowd was giving a sound which was a mixture of applause, muttering, cheering and silence, as he got to his microphone and prepared himself to sing his mind flashed back to the events which lead to this moment.

xxxxxxxxx.

Lelouch was in an armored transport with Suzaku and Euphie besides him, it had only been 12 hours since Narita and as Lelouch predicted the Brittannian's were attempting to assault the ghetto's, only Lelouch quick thinking of placing the army at the ghettos edge to stop them managed to avoid bloodshed, but he knew he had to take matter into his own hands before this escalated.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Your where crucified a few hours ago and you shouldn't leave your bed" Euphie said out of concern for her brother.

"I have to appear personally if I am to calm them down, also if it will be a sign of strength if I do this so soon" Lelouch said as the doctors injected into his foot some painkillers.

"That will keep your legs numbs enough for you're to stand on the, but don't make this long or your wounds will open and you'll start bleeding again" the doctor warned him as the vehicle made its way through the angry crowd and towards the military barrier.

"Are our men positioned in the crowd as I asked?" Lelouch asked Suzaku.

"Yes, we have positioned Murmilos in the front of the crowd and each one of them knows what lines to say" Suzaku replied

_The art of deception  
Is a magician's illusion  
To make one's perception  
Become their conclusion_

"Here's goes something, who knows we might win a Tony for this" Lelouch muttered as he got out of the vehicle, the angry crowd upon seeing them immediately stopped their shouting and screaming and their attempts to get past the barrier and an eerie silence fell as the person who they saw going through excruciating horrors on the internet now stood before them.

_But once you arrive at  
The Big Top Show  
You're loved and adored  
For the truth they don't know_

"Your highness! You're alright" one of the hidden Murmilos said to him.

"_Act one scene one, take one I suppose" _Lelouch said to himself as he said his first scripted line.

"Of course I am alright!" He shouted with a tone of indignation and belittlement to the man.

"Did you really thing that those mosquito bites really affect me? Do you have such little faith in your master?" Lelouch said his arms crossed, he looked and saw the man 'fear' him and this affected the crowd in a manner which he hoped it would it caught them off guard.

_The fear that you feel  
That you'll be exposed  
Makes your heart beat faster  
Enough to explode_

"I ask you what is this madness, what illness of the mind or body or what demon from the debts of darkness or the edge of civilized world posses so many people as to make them blood thirsty?" Lelouch shouted to the crowd which once again made them jump.

"W-we have come here to avenge your injuries my lord, to do justice for your pain!" another hidden Murmilo said his line to Lelouch.

"_And now it's time for the second act"_ he thought to himself.

"So let me get this straight, the idea of attacking innocent women and children with sticks, rocks and fire is done to honor me? Let me ask you this, will this action erase what happened at Narita? Will it change the past? No! It will not, the only thing it will do is bring pain and suffering to innocent people! Why are you doing this? It was not the people who live here that did this to me, but a handful of anarchist who's only desire is chaos and destruction, so why are you baling the innocent?" Lelouch shouted to them, as he tried hard to keep his 'mask', the sheer magnitude of the deception was hard to do considering his current health.

_The lie that you live  
Underneath your mask  
Is an unwanted chore  
A laboring task_

"But my lord, what they did to you" a third Murmilo said the finally of the grand show.

"Exactly! What they did to me, I am the victim here, not you, these people have done nothing to you so you have no reason at all for this action, I am the victim here and I do not even bare a grudge since these people are innocent, and since I am without hatred why have you filled your hearts with it?" Lelouch said, as an uneasy feeling crept over him.

_It gets hot in the mask  
And under your skin_

Lelouch took a quick glanced towards his feet and noticed that his wounds had opened and blood was pouring from his shoes,._  
The only way to vent_

If the crowd did not dispersed soon his deception would soon be revealed.

_Is to reveal your sin_

The crowd upon seeing him in his 'healthy' appearance and shaken by his words began to disperse, and in a few moments they were all going home.

So I stand here naked  
Please come to my reception

Upon seeing this Lelouch let out a sigh of relief, he stumbled with great difficulty back to the entrance of the vehicle as Suzaku and Euphie helped him sit down so the doctor could help him

Immediately following  
My "Art of Deception"

"Forget about a Tony, that was Oscar material" Lelouch said jokingly as the doctor tended to him.

**(Black Knight position)**

"Man, that guy sure is tough…for a Britannian" Tamaki said as the Black Knight central command had just watched what had happened.

"I would call getting doped upon on pain killers and standing before thousands of people to calm them down while you are in danger of slowly bleeding to death bold and brilliant than tough, but I suppose it can be compared s as well "Zero said as he turned off the tv and started their meeting.

"I would like to introduce you to Mister Diethard Reed, he has recently joined us and he is the one who provided us with the exact date for the attack on Narita, mister Reed please make your presentation.

"Yes, thank you Zero, as a result of the Narita engagement the following ramifications has appeared:"

"We have lost about 70 knightmares out of 300 in that engagement, including the radiation arm of the Guren which was severed during the battle, I have contacted the designer and she will arrive within the week to fix it, our support and the number of people who desire to join us has grown overnight exponentially thank to it, but considering recent development that may need to be reanalyzed"

"From the date gathered during the fight we have the following knowledge on the enemy: Jeremiah Gotwald, age 27, he fights in the Hoplomachus type frame, his fighting style is mostly European with equal emphasize on defense and offense"

A bar which indicated abilities appeared.

"Mustapha Saudi, he fight in the Dimachaerii type frame, hi style is of constant offensive with little regard for defensive which matches his: "I am dead and victory is life" mentality"

"The Pilot of the Lancelot autumn cross which I must say is responsible for 30% of our casualties has abilities which are on par with miss Kallen and her Guren, I wonder who would win in a fight"

"And finally the anomaly, Lelouch vi Brittannia, who fight in the Retiarius"

Diethard said as he showed a bar which illustrated Lelouch's speed, stamina, strength and all of them were below average.

"What he lacks in abilities he makes up with intelligence, he uses deception, strategy, and well timed attacks to compensate for his lack of strength, it's like going up against an old veteran warrior who is more knowledgeable than you" Diethard said to them.

"Also a rather peculiar thin happened, after the crucifixion incident, apparently mobs in Underland composed out of former numbers took to the streets in protest" Diethard added.

"It is not so peculiar as you may think, the people of Underland all benefit from Lelouch's reign there, they do not simply pretend to love hi, they really love him, and the action of seeing their beloved leader in such a state has made them angry, in regards to that Kallen" Zero said to her.

"Y-yes "Kallen said as Zero walked over to her and presented her with some flours.

"If it's not too much to ask take these to Lelouch and give him my best regards" Zero said to her as he presented her with flowers.

"He you going to poison him with those flowers aren't' you, nice!" Tamaki suddenly said to those present.

"Of course not! Security around him will check everything that gets to him, if we did try such a foolish action then the only result would be Kallen getting arrested, interrogated and executed for attempted murder of royalty, do you want that to happen to her?" Zero said to Tamaki.

"W-what of course not!" Tamaki replied.

"Then I suggest you better thing before opening your mouth or better yet don't thing….you know what Tamaki it might be better for us and for mankind in general if you just kept your mouth shut" Zero replied and left the room.

"The nerve of that guy telling me I should just keep my mouth shut! Right guys?" Tamaki said to Ohgi and the others and for them the floor, ceiling and walls suddenly became very interesting.

"Guys?"

"GUYS!"

**(Some time later, Lelouch's medical ward)**

Shirley was standing over Lelouch who was resting in his bed, she felt guilty that while she brooded on the fact that she killed enemies during the fight Lelouch went through such an ordeal, it was guilt bared out of the fact that she felt she could have helped him if she weren't so emo at the moment.

"It wasn't your fault" Lelouch said while he still had his eyes closed, this caught Shirley off guard.

"You think that it's your fault, that you're the reason I am in this condition, that is called survivors guilt and I am telling you it is not your fault, if anything I am lucky to be alive considering how the battle went so your shouldn't burden your conscience with things like this" Lelouch said to her and grabbed her hand to comfort her, just then Millie, Rivals and Kallen came in Lelouch's room.

*Whack* Millie gave Lelouch a gentle tap with her fingers on his forehead.

"What was that for?" Lelouch said to her as he massaged his forehead.

"For making Nunna-chan worry by that stunt you pulled earlier" Millie said and Gestured to Nunnally who was also in the room.

"Well I guess I deserve that then, by the way Nunnally how's the preparations for the concert going?" Lelouch asked her.

"Concert?" Rivals asked her.

"Every year the day Underland is founded we have a big concert with the world's biggest celebrities, which is broadcasted worldwide, the money is sent to charity and to those who lost loved ones in war" Nunnally replied to them.

"Brother the concert will be held in Tokyo in one month from Today" she added.

"Well that's good to know, up until then I can relax in this bed" Lelouch replied.

"And I'll make sure you do that!" a voice was heard from the door and the turned to see someone they didn't expect.

"Sister Cornelia!" Nunnally said with happiness in her voice.

At the sight before her Kallen was a loss of words, she had always thought of the royal family as cold hearted monsters, but upon seeing this, Nunnally the gentle girl, Lelouch the caring brother and friend, Cornelia the dotting sister who traveled half the world for her brother she was in confusion, the only thing was certain was the fact that nothing was as black of white as it seamed.

**(Euphie's room)**

Euphie was about to go to visit Lelouch when Suzaku entered her room.

"Princess we need to talk" Suzaku said to her.

This startled Euphie Suzaku only used her title in private when he was about to discuss something serious.

"Why? What happened? Is Lelouch alright?" Euphie said concerned.

"It's not that, Lelouch is fine, but I think you and I should stop seeing each other" Suzaku said to her which caused the blood to drain from her face.

"W-why? Wasn't something I said or did?" Euphie said to him, panic and pain present in her voice.

"No, it's not that"

"A-are you seeing another woman?" She asked hesitantly.

"No I am not seeing someone else" Suzaku said to her.

"Then why!" She shouted to him.

"Look pri…Euphie how further can we take this? I Am a Honorary Brittannian, you're a Princess, we can't continue to see each other were simply to different from one another" Suzaku said to her.

"I doesn't matter to me who or what you are Suzaku I love you, I want to be with you, why does this have to end? I have brothers and sisters who have lovers who are neither noble nor some who aren't even brittannian and people don't mind so why do we need to stop?" Euphie asked puzzled.

"The problem is that the people who you are referring to are concubines; you don't want me as your concubine do you?" Suzaku asked and waited for the answer.

"No….I want more than that, I want to spend the rest of my life with you" Euphie said to him and this was what Suzaku feared.

"Listen Euphie let's say we take this further, let's say we even get married, what happens then? Where would we live? What names should we call ourselves? What names will we give our children, Japanese names, brittannian names? What language will we teach them?...And who would accept them…..they'll be outcasts, you'll be an outcast as well…..I can bear the thought of me being one….but I would not see you be subjected to the same suffering" Suzaku said to her.

At this answer Euphie let out a breath of relief, and started crying.

She walked over to Suzaku and took his hands in her own and said to him:

"And this is why I love you, you always think of other before yourself, you hands made seem like those of a warrior, but they are as gentle as mine, you worry for me Suzaku and that is why I love you, don't worry we will pass whatever obstacle together, and we will not be alone, Lelouch, Nunnally, maybe even Cornelia will support us, and by the way was that a proposal?" Euphie said to him which caught him off guard.

The next thing he knew their lips were interlocked.

XXXXXXX.

Mustafa was having a doctor examine him.

"So let me get this straight mister Mustafa you are a 20 year old recovering alcoholic and drug addict, can you describe just how serious was your addiction?" the doctor asked him.

"

"Well, 'I've taken a bit of speed and pot. A long time ago, y'know?'

"'So just the pot and a bit of speed?'"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"The doctor carried on doing his thing. But after a while, he stopped again. 'Are you absolutely sure it was just the pot and the speed?'

"'Well, I suppose I've had a few toots of the old waffle dust in my time,"' Mustafa said to him

"'So pot, speed and… a few lines of cocaine?'

"'Pretty much, yeah.'"

'And you're sure about that?'

'Uh-huh.'

'I just want to make absolut—'

'Does heroin count?'

'Yes, heroin counts.'

'Oh. And heroin, then. Just once or twice, mind.'

'Are you sure it was just once or twice?'

'Oh, yeah. Fucking crap drug, heroin is. Have you tried it?'

'No.'

'Too much throwing up for my liking.'

'The nausea can be intense, yes.'

'It's a waste of booze, that's what it is.'

'OK,' the doctor snapped, 'let's just stop this. Are there any drugs you haven't taken, Mr Saudi

Silence.

'Mr Saudi?'

'Not that I'm aware of, no.'

More silence.

Finally, the doc said, 'And what about alcohol? You mentioned that you drank. How many units per day?'

'Oh, about four? Give or take.'

'Can you be more specific?'

'Bottles of Hennessy. But it depends.'

'On what?'

'On how long I pass out between them.'

'And it's just the Hennessy?'

'Well, beer doesn't count, does it?'

The doc shook his head, let out a big sigh, and started to rub his eyes. He looked like hewanted to go home. Then he asked, 'And do you smoke, Mr Saudi?'

'Now and again.'

'What a surprise. How many per day, would you say?'

'Oh, thirty-ish?'

'What brand of cigarettes?'

'Cigars. I don't count the cigarettes.'

The doc started to go very white. Then he said, 'For how long has this been your typicaldaily routine?'

'What year is it?' I asked him.

'2018.'

'Nearly for two years, then.'

'And is there anything else in your medical history I should know about?' asked the doc.

'Well,' I said, 'I got hit by an airplane once – sort of, anyway. And I broke my neck on a quad bike. Then I died twice during the coma. I had AIDS for twenty-four hours, too. And I thought I had MS, but it turned out to be a Parkinsonian tremor. I broke my clack that other time. Oh, and I've had the clap a few times. And one or two seizures, like when I took the codeine in New York, or when I date raped myself in Germany. That's it, really – unless you count the abuse of prescription medication.'

The doctor nodded

"And when did all these events happen?" the doctor asked him.

"Well it was spring break" Mustafa replied

Then he cleared his throat, loosened his tie, and said, 'I've got one last question for you,

Mr Saudi.'

'Go ahead, Doc.'

'Why are you still alive?'

Mustafa was silent at this, for he truly did not have the answer, he seemed to have a habit of surviving anything which was one of the reasons he was now a soldier

Xxxxxxx,

**(A month later the concert)**

Lelouch was now healthy enough for him to walk, Cornelia and himself were outside the event venue and Cornelia said the following to him.

"I know it's kind of your tradition to have this concert but must your also perform considering your condition" Cornelia said to him.

"Your concern for me is touching sister, but I am fine, also I've wanted to do this for years" Lelouch said as the final act finished and the finally of the concert, namely a him started.

The audience fell silent as he walked on stage.

"Ladies and gentleman for this concerts final number his highness Lelouch vi Brittannia will perform a song for us" the announcers voice was heard overt the speakers.

xxxxxxxx.

Meanwhile on the roof of the concert Suzaku was sitting there and scanning the crowd for trouble when a pair of arms wrapped around his eyelids, only for them to be revealed to belong to Euphie.

"Euphie what are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I had and idea and I wanted to put it into practice" she said as she kissed him and Lelouch took the stage

xxxxxxxx.

A thick guitar started as Lelouch grabbed the microphone with both hands and with a powerful voice started singing

xxxxxxxxxxx.

Euphie and Suzaku were now intervened in passionate kisses and Suzaku was removing her clothes

**Oh yeah!  
**

**Some people say my love cannot be true  
Please believe me, my love, and Ill show you**

Lelouch pointed a finger at the crowd and they cheered as Euphie removed Suzaku's clothing.

**I will give you those things you thought unreal  
The sun, the moon, the stars all bear my seal  
**

The crowd cheers as Lelouch sang

Suzaku then entered Euphie and started pleasuring her.

**Oh yeah!  
**

**Follow me now and you will not regret  
Leaving the life you led before we met  
You are the first to have this love of mine  
Forever with me till the end of time**

Lelouch said to the crowd as he placed his hands over his heart and started to sing with his eyes closed

Your love for me has just got to be real

Euphie and Suzaku looked at each other as they both trusted their hips against one another.

**Before you know the way Im going to feel  
Im going to feel**

Lelouch said worth all the power his voice could muster which mad the crowd break into cheers.

**Im going to feel**

Oh yeah!

Now I have you with me, under my power  
Our love grows stronger now with every hour

Suzaku was now on his back as Euphie started down at him and he at her.

Below Lelouch stared at the crowd and gestured to his eyes.

**Look into my eyes, you will see who I am  
My name is lucifer, please take my hand  
**

Lelouch extended his hand to the crowd and started walking across the stage closer to where the stage ends and the crowd begins.

**Oh yeah!**

Follow me now and you will not regret  
Leaving the life you led before we met  
You are the first to have this love of mine  
Forever with me till the end of time

Lelouch was now only a few centimeters away from the arms of the first row and Suzaku and Euphie were now only moments away from climax.

Your love for me has just got to be real  
Before you know the way Im going to feel  
Im going to feel  
Im going to feel

Oh yeah!

Now I have you with me, under my power  
Our love grows stronger now with every hour

Lelouch embraced himself with his arms, Euphie embraced Suzaku and the grand finally approached.

**Look into my eyes, you will see who I am  
My name is lucifer, please take my hand**

One last guitar solo covered the sound waves and muffled a scream of pleasure as Euphie and Suzaku climaxed and then the cries of the crowd filled the air Lelouch performance had made them go insane.

Looking at the crowd a single thought was now present in Lelouch's head, one which thanks to the proof of the crowds hysteria was certain.

"_The big bad is back and this time he stays that way"_ he thought to himself.

**Authors note:**

**Read and review, let me know if I should continue**


	10. Part X:Flowers that spread, flowers that

Hello my dear, dear friend

I have come to frolic again 

For what purpose do I come you say.

To spread chaos from eternity to today.

John Milton, Devils ballad.

**Chapter X: Flowers that spread, flowers that come**

**(Lelouch's room, Government Facility)**

Lelouch was in his room and was resting on his bed; he had a date with Shirley this evening which more or less ended up in passionate kissing and groping on both their parts, he felt than sooner they would consummate their relationship, but he had other issues on his mind, tomorrow he and his Murmilo regiment had a special mission to undertake, one that would either bring them great rewards or total destruction, and that was why he was merely lying on his bed and not sleeping, he had his plan figured out, every detail was put in place every factor checked, but even the best plans don't go as you'd like….

**(Mustafa's room)**

Mustafa was on his knees and he was praying to Allah, as it was customary for muslins to do this three times a day.

_Allah oh great creator your humble servant Mustafa has come here to give you his praise and piety for you, I thank you for giving me the gift of live, for giving me a prosperous family to be born into, for strength to be a holy warrior, for giving me strength to overcome my addiction to drugs and alcohol, and know that I will face without fear whatever challenge you may give me._

Mustafa thought to himself as he looked at what his uniform for the mission was….it was a silk dress

_Even when your challenges can make even Hercules doubt he is man enough to fulfill them._

**(E.U Ministry of interior, Internal Security Division MI8)**

Janos Algren the director of the Pacific sector for counter intelligence was going over the latest report from his field agents.

"So in all we have managed to determine that The Empire had bribed eight small officials, three medium tank members of the Foreign relations sector, we estimate there are 14 field agents infiltrated within this area and have eliminated 6 of them, and we have in all 38 report upon the internal affairs of the Royal family " one of the field operatives said to him.

Janos Algren was a man in his late twenties and his high ranking position in the Internal Security at such a young age proved that he knew what he was doing, to and ordinary person nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but to him there was something that was bothering him in a particular report.

"You said that there was an order for expensive silk and perfume from Lelouch the current Governor of Underland?" Janos said to them.

"Yes sir"

"That's all for now, you may go" Janos replied and they left.

He then took the report and then sat on the floor with his legs crossed, this was his meditation position.

"_Silk and perfume is what you usually give to a woman, if he as a mistress or lover he wouldn't bother so much to keep it a secret?"_

Janos thought to himself and he then put his mind into it.

"_I am Lelouch, I am the Rose Prince…my realm is constantly harassed by inside opposition…my new land Japan is on the verge of rebellion…..i have China to the West and Europe to the North….I have Zero in my backyard, enemy on my shores, nobles at my back…I have a house of cards….i need victories… great victories, one against the E.U, one against Zero and another against the nobility…I need three…..what are these three"_

Janos then sat there crossed legged and in meditation, he went through all potential victories he could achieve and tried to tie them to the silk and perfume, and so day turned into night and he got up from his eight hour seating position and started to go home.

As he walked past the main office he stole a glance at the map of the world and he immediately froze in his tracks, there he saw his answer.

"_T-that's it! , the E.U, Zero, the nobility, the unholy Trinity for the Rose Prince all into one! But how does this fit with the silk….AAAAAAAAA! OF Course! _he thought to himself as he quickly ran to the nearest phone.

"Get me the MI8 head department tell them it's urgent!"

**(Cornelia's eight army submarine command ship)**

"Although I have to say this plan seems to have a great deal of success, I do not think it is necessary for you to participate in the field mission Lelouch" Cornelia said to him as he was changing into one of the dresses.

"Although you may be against it, I think my participation would be mandatory " Lelouch said as he exited the dress room in gown.

"Well what do you guys think?" he asked them.

Those present were all rendered speechless by what they saw, Shirley who was with them since she was on Lelouch's personal guard had the following thought.

"_Lelouch was always were attractive and a lot of girls look at him, but with this….does it mean that the male population will also be my rival?"_

**(Black Knights HQ meeting room.)**

"Another ten victims from the Divine Wind Alliance?" Zero asked Diethard.

"Yes sir, it's seems that they are specifically targeting Black Knights along with Brittannian targets, it seems that while the more mild idealists are going to us, the extremists are gathering to them." Diethard replied.

The Divine Wind Alliance was a new organization which appeared just recently.

While the Black Knights have been branding themselves as allies of justice and have continued to fight against oppression, corruption, they are allies of justice, but the Divine Wind objectives is in their own saying total purification, almost everyone who is not up to their strict code of patriotism, nationalism and other criteria's is a potential target

"Before we can eliminate the enemies from outside we must first defeat the enemies from within." Ohgi replied with a melancholic voice.

"And here I thought all that crap went out with the Blood of the Samurai!" Tamaki said to them.

"In any society there will always be fanatics, extremists that always see an enemy" Zero said to them.

"Also this moth we have ambushed 10 brittannian military columns, recruited another 500 additional members and made public evidence against 23 businessmen, destroyed two crime cartels and our support has risen by 3% among the global population" Diethard added and this was very good news.

"Also we received an invitation from Kyoto for a meeting" Ohgi said with a smile which made everyone in the room gasp with surprise and cheer with happiness in their voice.

"Is there really such a need for this level of enthusiasm?" Zero asked them.

"Really a need? It's Kyoto! If we are accepted then it means sponsorship" Kallen said to him astounded at his lack of enthusiasm.

"With that our financial problems….." Ohgi said but he stopped himself after realizing he forgot to report this to Zero.

"It's not my fault! We are a big organization now, the money just disappears!" Tamaki defended himself as he was the one in charge of finances.

"Does taking the new recruits to a fancy place to show off part of our necessary expenses?" Kallen asked sarcastically.

"Hey now…."

"I know where you've been and how many times as well" Kallen said to him and enjoyed the sight of Tamaki squirming from being found out.

Tamaki then looked at Zero to gauge his reaction but he noticed that the guy was not reacting at all he was only looking at an empty corner of the room but he was not saying anything.

"Uhm Zero…I….I am really sorry…I won't try to" Tamaki said but Zero just kept staring at the ground, to those around him it looked as though Zero was so ashamed at his behavior that he couldn't look him in the eye.

An eerie silence followed as those around did not know how to react, then suddenly Zero got up which made everyone jump from this sudden action, he then started slowly pacing around the room with his hands behind his back.

It looked as though a judge was about to carry out a sentence and everyone now held their breath from the dreaded moment when he would pronounce it.

"Ohgi, has there been any response from Brittannia over our activities?" Zero asked him.

"N-no, nothing out of the ordinary" Ohgi replied.

"Just as I feared" Zero said and this confused those present.

"What do you mean?" Yoshida asked him.

"Our organization has done great damage to the Empire both militarily and politically and yet Lelouch does nothing, I can only assume his lack of inactivity is from pooling his resources into some grand operation which takes a great deal of time" Zero replied and everyone then understood his concern.

"For now we shall go and meet with Kyoto, when is the meeting?" Zero asked.

"In five hours time" Diethard replied.

"Then this meeting is adjourned, everyone go and rest and prepare for Kyoto, also Tamaki!" Zero said to Tamaki who froze from the icy tone used in his voice.

"If this was a legitimate army you would have been court-martialed for embezzlement of funds, if this was a yakuza organization you would have been beaten senselessly, and if this was a terrorist organization you would have been skinned alive, and for wasting resources when we have so few I'd say it would have been well disserved punishment" Zero said to him as he leaned down until he was face to face with him.

"But I am a man who believes in a second change, so I will overlook this, but if you waist our resources like that again I will not give you a third change, do I make myself clear?" Zero said to him and all Tamaki could do was nod in agreement.

"Also Ohgi you will now be in charge of our finances, does anyone have any objections?" Zero said while his mask was still inches away from Tamaki's face.

"N-no" Tamaki said to him.

"Meeting adjourned then"

**(E.U Ministry of interior, Internal Security Division MI8)**

"God damn fools!" Janos said out loud as he hung up the phone, headquarters had not taken his warning seriously and he had gotten the usual prewritten replies from them.

He immediately started redialing his phone with the personal numbers of the commander of the Pacific garrison.

"Hello is this the phone of commander Potiaski?" Janos asked in a haste.

"Yes"

"Am I speaking with the commander?"

"Yes"

"Do you know of the Rose Prince, the current governor of Japan?"

"Yes"

"Well this might seem silly but I believe his plan is to capture you and your officers by using courtesans or high class prostitutes to get you to surrender your command without a fight, I know it sounds silly but please will you believe me?" Janos said to him.

"Yes"

A wave of relief came over Janos and he relaxed, but after a few moments of silence he noticed that there was an edge in the commanders voice, and then a wave of fear overcame Janos and with dread he said the following.

"You believe me right?"

"Yes"

"You'd like to take precautions, but you can't, right?"

"Yes"

"It's because you've already had a party with those courtesans and you and your officers are already captured aren't you"

"Y-yes"

"He's right next to you isn't he?"

"Yes" Potiaski replied and after that Lelouch took the phone from him and spoke into it.

"Mister Janos if I am not mistaken I must say that I am impressed you managed to see through my plan" Lelouch said to him.

"I hope you understand your highness that I am not in the mood for pleasantries regarding our current situation" Janos replied as he tried to keep his calm.

"I understand quite perfectly mister Janos, but the this is not the end, this is just intermission, so sit back and enjoy part two" Lelouch said and he hanged up the phone.

**(Kyoto meeting area)**

The limousine which transported The Black Knights reached its destination, a warehouse within the sakuradite mining operation

"Hey! This is mount Fuji!" Kallen said amazed as she looked out the window.

"This is where the sakuradite mines are!" Oughi said

"The cursed treasure that brought about the war! Kyoto's really something if they have influences all the way here" Tamaki said.

"It's repulsive... Mt. Fuji, a sacred mountain once known for its clear water and quiet beauty, now it is bent to the empires will, a place of hideous violation, a reflection of what Japan has become, it pains me so." Taizo Kirihara said from behind his concealment.

"You are Zero, are you not, although I understand that you have your own reasons to conceal your face, but for me to trust you must reveal it to us" Kirihara said as three knightmares appeared from the shadows.

"Wait Zero's the one who brought us victory and defeated both Lelouch and Cornelia" Kallen said as she got in front of Zero and raised her arms around him in a protective manor, but was immediately stoped by Kirihara's voice who said to her:

"Be quiet woman, you to the right you are Ohgi are you not"

"Y-yes sir" Ohgi responded.

"Remove Zero's mask and show us his face" Kirihara ordered.

"F-forgive me Zero, I really want to believe in you so please" Ohgi said as he moved his hands to take of Zero's mask, but was stopped by a raise of the hand from Zero.

"What a very civilized was to do business, force someone at gunpoint to reveal his secrets to you, I dare say your methods put the yakuza to shame, mister Kirihara Taizo" Zero said out loud this surprised Kirihara and his two bodyguards which were with him.

"We cannot let anyone who knows the master's identity live!" One of the bodyguards said as they moved to take out their guns, but were stopped when the three knightmares all of a suddenly pointed their guns at the guards and at Kirihara.

"W-what's is going on!" Tamaki said out loud.

"Did you really think that I would attend this meeting without proper precautions, it was an easy task to find out the probable location of your rendezvous site and have my agents take out and replace yours, a pity thought , they were good soldiers although I cannot say the same about their leader, Kirihara Taizo, founder of Kirihara industries, responsible for the mining of sakuradite, you controlled the Kururugi government from the shadows and supported the war against the Empire, after that you changed sides and swore an oath of allegiance to Brittannia, only for you to then immediately start funding the various anti-government movements nationwide, Benedict times three I would say" Zero said to him as he approached Kirihara.

"You bastard, how dare you judge the chairman so!" one of the guards said but was silenced by Kirihara.

"You seem to very much want to conceal your identity so I guess the rumor from Kaguya that you are not Japanese was true then" Kirihara said to Zero.

"That's correct" Zero replied nonchalantly.

This caught Ohgi and the others by surprise.

"You can't be serious, no wonder he didn't show us his face!" Tamaki said to them.

"If you are not Japanese then what is your objective, what do you fight for?"

"The freedom of Japan is one step in my plan to liberate all those who are being oppressed by others" Zero replied.

"You're objective sounds too good to be true, but how can I trust you?" Kirihara asked.

At this Zero took another step forward and entered the small pagoda which Kirihara was sitting.

The other could not see or hear what they were doing.

He then took off one of his gloves and extended that hand to Kirihara, after a few moments of hesitation Kirihara took hold of it and a sudden surge of energy overcame him, he experienced sights and sounds which were too great to be explained, he saw the past, he saw the future, he saw the grand scale of things from the most grandiose event to the most insignificant detail, his eyes were for the briefest moments opened.

"B….beautiful, everything was so beautiful, and what we done, what we could have done instead…" he said to Zero in a voice which only the two of them could hear as tears streamed down his eyes.

"And you, you are really a d-"

"No I am not, I am just someone who wants to make things right, to make up for the past, the one who is to bring change, nothing more nothing less" Zero cut him off.

Kirihara was taken aback by this, but after giving it a thought he understood and gave a nod of approval.

"Very well then, we will sponsor you both with money and military knowledge, you have the full backing of Kyoto, may the Kamikaze blow in your favor Zero" Kirihara said as he wiped the tears from his eyes and gave a bow of the head.

"I am grateful for that lord Kirihara" Zero replied with a bow of the head and he exited the pagoda.

"One more thing, how did you manage to subdue my knightmare pilots?" Kirihara asked out of curiosity.

"You can all reveal yourselves now" Zero said and two of the three Knightmare hatches opened and revealed that Inoue and another female Black knight were there.

"I see…women really are the downfall of kings and heroes" Kirihara said with a chuckle which lightened the tense atmosphere.

"I said you could come out now" Zero said to the third knightmare since it pilot wasn't responding.

"C.C for gods sake's you can come out now!" Zero shouted to the knightmare.

"Don't want to" C.C replied with a bored tone in her voice.

"What!"

"Why should I listen to you? After all you are a very bad partner, you never take me out, never buy me any nice things and you always take up to much of the bed, so why should I listen to you" C.C said in a teasing tone which did manage to get Zero's blood boiling.

"T-take up to much of the bed, hey does that mean C.C is his girl?" Tamaki asked Ohgi.

"Guess so, can't say that I blame him" Ohgi whispered back.

"C.C stop with this idiocy, you and I are professional partners, not romantic ones, so please stop trying to make my life miserable!" Zero replied.

"Why should I, that is what according to your male mentality what God put us on this earth for so why should I defy God, I'd rather much defy you" C.C said playfully.

Zero clenched his fists but after that he let out a sight of defeat and said: "Fine I'll meet whatever demands you want but can we please just go now?" Zero said to her, and she agreed and they left.

Kirihara after witnessing this scene nearly shook his head in sympathy, not even the Zero could handle or understand women, and to do that would require a miracle of miracles.

**(Black knight HQ)**

The meeting with Kyoto had been successful and Zero was looking forward to a night of relaxation, but that hopeful thought was dashed as soon as Yoshida ran to deliver them a message with great shock in his voice.

"He, he took it, he actually took it!"

"What are you talking about Yoshida?" Kallen asked him.

Yoshida immediately guided them to the tv.

We are here live from Toyohara were just moments ago the last of the E.U garrison had been captured by Her Highness Princess Cornelia's forces and Prince Lelouch, the Governor General of Underland and Japan is now approaching the stand in front of me to deliver a speech on the recent events.

"Everyone, from those who are with us in this campaign as soldiers to those who are viewing this at home, to every inhabitant of the empire and abroad I say to you on this day we Lelouch vi Brittannia, Cornelia di Brittannia together with our armed forces claim this land of Sakhalin in the name of peace in the Pacific, the E.U stole this island from the other four Nippon Islands years ago during the first pacific and it deported it's people to labor camps in Siberia, and replaced them with soldiers whose only objectives was to pirate the waters around it and terrorize its inhabitants"

"Today no more to the people who are living on the mainland I say to you the Pacific is now truly hours, and to the people who live just across this narrow strait of sea I say to you what was stolen from you has now been returned to you and we have won this victory without losing a single man!" a wave of cheers an applause came from the gathered soldiers.

"Now I understand that there are a great number of civilian's who are natives of the E.U currently reside here, if they so desire they may pass and go back to the mainland E.U, my reason for doing this is simple, the E.U will undoubtedly launch a united offensive to retake this island and while the E.U may have no qualms about getting innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, I do not and will always seek to protect the civilian be they Foreign or Imperial"

"And to the E.U leaders who think they are a match for Cornelia di Brittannia and myself I say if you try to come and take this island we will gladly welcome you with our steel and shot!" Lelouch finished and a roar of cheer came from the gathered crowd.

Xxxxxxx

"Sakhalin it's….it's part of Japan again!" Sugiyama said out loud.

"The piece of land which was stolen from us so long ago, the one thing we tried for over a century to take back, he did it he actually did it!" Kallen added.

Diethard who was present in the room stared at Zero who displayed no emotions.

"_He hasn't said anything since the news hit, ….. he said that he was expecting something big to happen this morning, then why is he so passive?... is he really that shocked or…Oh My GOD it makes no difference to him! He is passive because he has something even bigger planed along!"_ Diethard thought to himself as he felt his heard raced with sheer anticipation.

The sun and moon, the night and day.

Whether you are near my friend or that far away.

A time of delusion and confusion is what you will find.

Between my chaos sun and black hole of mine.

John Milton, Devils ballad.


End file.
